City of Embers
by Livealovestory
Summary: Rated T for language.  This story picks up one month after the battle in Alicante. Someone from Jaces past comes back into the picture. Someone that he is not happy to see again. The same someone that happens to be Clary's new mentor.
1. Why me?

Thank you for taking the time to read my story ;). I hope I meet all of your expectations.

Enjoy!

Oh yeah…I am definitely not Cassandra Claire… and I definitely don't own any of this. All rights go to the genius herself! Gosh I love these books…

**CLARY p.o.v.**

"Absolutely not. Jace, no." Maryse marked her words with a seriousness that I had not yet heard since that fateful night in Alicante.

Jace slowly lifted his head to meet her eyes, his hands gripping the arms of the wooden chair he was seated in. "Why not, Maryse?" His tone was unyielding. "Who better to instruct her than me? Who better to take care of her throughout this process than me?" His eyes were fierce. "Tell me that."

I stood against the wall, unsure of what to do or say. I _hated_ that mother and son were fighting over me - again. No, Jace was not Maryse's biological son, but he was her son none-the-less.

"Jace," she paused, pinching the bridge of her nose, "we have already discussed this. It is not my hand at force here. It is at the hand of The Clave. They do not want Clary's training to be in any way hindered by the feelings you two hold for one another. They feel that it could weaken her abilities."

_That is ridiculous!_ I wanted to shout. _Jace is the perfect person to teach me. Who else knows my strengths and weaknesses better than Jace does!_

"_That_ is ridiculous." He mirrored my thoughts exactly. "They should know that no one outside of me would put more time and effort into her growth. You know this as well as I do. I will not let her be exploited!"

She sighed and crossed the room, stopping in front of the fireplace. "I'm sorry, but it is simply not my or your decision this time." She grabbed a piece of paper from the mantel and turned toward me, holding it up in the air. "They have already chosen your tutor. They sent a fire message just this afternoon. He'll arrive at any moment."

I looked at Jace, whose eyes were focused on the little piece of paper as if it held all of the secrets to life itself.

"Who is 'he'?" he asked sternly.

After a slight hesitation she turned her head toward Jace, "I know that you are not going to be approving of this, but they have chosen to send Tristan."

Jace stood immediately, looking at her as if he just spotted the ghost of Valentine himself. His voice was quiet and deadly. "Tristan?" he seethed, his eyes boring into hers. The glow from the fire reflected off of his skin, making him look like the most beautiful avenging angel - my avenging angel. "Tell me. How did you fail to mention this sooner? There is absolutely no way in hell I'm letting him come close to her. Why isn't he rotting in a jail somewhere? Why did he ever come back? And why didn't you tell me that this was an option in the first place?!"

"Jace, I didn't want you to–"

"No! Absolutely not! I will not leave her in the hands of that child!" He stalked away, hands clenched.

I spoke quietly, afraid to test the air with my words. "Who's Tristan?"

Maryse continued as if I hadn't spoken. "Jace, I know how you must feel about this, but he has changed. And he is not a child anymore. He is the same age as you, do you consider yourself a child." It was not a question seeing as they both already knew the answer. "He only trains the most promising of Shadowhunters. The Clave will vouch for him; he's been working for them for quite some time now. They have no reason to distrust him any longer."

"No reason? Of course they have a reason! He helped Valentine turn me into a heartless bastard! And if he's such a great warrior, where in the hell was he during Valentine's attacks?" he screamed in frustration.

I hurried over to him, turning his face toward me. "Who is Tristan, Jace? What did he do to you?" When he cast his eyes down and didn't answer I released his face and turned to Mayrse, angry at whoever this was that caused him any pain. If this person could hurt Jace so badly, then I didn't want to know him at all! "What is going on here?" My voice rising, "Someone answer me. I will _not_ be shut out of my own life!"

Maryse blew out a long breath and spoke. "Tristan and Jace grew up together." She glanced at Jace, expecting him to carry on with the story. When he didn't make a move, possibly to angry to speak, she continued. "They were best friends in childhood, as well as training partners. Early on in their lives Tristan helped Valentine lie to Jace about the intentions of his 'experiments'; not knowing even for himself the extent of what Valentine was planning to do. Valentine used Tristan to acquire full access to Jace. He was used as a tool in order for Valentine to gain Jace's trust and loyalty."

I drew in a sharp intake of breath reaching for Jace's hand - which had gone cold as ice.

"At the age of seven Tristan learned the depth of Valentines true plan and disappeared without a trace. That was before he showed up in Idris three years ago to plead his case to The Clave."

"And that is exactly why he cannot be trusted." Jace spit through gritted teeth.

She gave him a sympathetic look but then continued on. "Although he has had an indecent past, he was very, very young when all of that happened. And he has been proving himself to The Clave ever since. And as I said before, we do not have a choice in the matter."

"Wait. So you're telling me that out of all of the Shadowhunters throughout the world, with some of the finest living right here in this household, they think that _this_ guy is the best fit for this situation?" Maryse nodded once in response. "They don't see the conflict of interest here? They can't see that this is possibly the worst person that they could have chosen. Are they insane?!" I yelled, frustrated with this whole situation. I hated the fact that they felt it their duty to choose who I trained with in the first place. They don't know me. And I know that they still consider me a fragile little girl. Even after all that I have done, I still don't have their respect. "Screw The Clave! I want to be taught by Jace!"

I turned toward him then, hurt creeping into my voice. My eyes began to tear at the thought of him keeping this significant part of his life from me. "And why didn't you tell me about him?" I asked quietly.

"Clary, I'm sorry. I…I –"he fumbled his face suddenly urgent.

"No. I'm not in the mood to talk about this right now." I withdrew my hand and started toward the window. It had gone quiet, the only noise coming from the fanning flames.

"He's hot!" a voice called from the hallway, startling me to the core. It was Isabelle. I turned, shooting an annoyed expression in her direction. She was smiling; dressed head to toe in Shadowhunter gear; looking stealth and deadly. She unraveled her whip expertly, letting it fall to the floor. "Well I'm sorry to say so, but he is. I saw him in Alicante a few years back. He grew up nicely."

"Shut up Isabelle!" Jace growled. "That is not helping!" he continued, taking a step toward her. She quickly raised her hands in defeat.

"Geez, I'm sorry I said anything. I just figured that the conversation needed a lighter subject matter - my bad." And with that she wound the whip up her arm and strolled on to patrol with Alex.

**JACE p.o.v.**

Clary had stormed out of the library after Isabelle's little interruption. I decided it best to give her some space. I waited for her in her room, which gave me some much needed time to think - some time to digest what just happened.

I couldn't remember the last time I was this…frustrated. Frustrated with the overflowing emotions I felt in this moment and could nothing about. I wasn't used to it. I was used to being in control; especially when it came to Clary's safety and well-being. Clary, my Clary, was going to be trained by Tristan - really? Talk about a cosmic joke. My best and worst childhood friend was on his way here to help guide Clary through the process of becoming what she is destined to become: a savior to our kind. That made me furious beyond comprehension. I was also furious with myself for not telling Clary about Tristan in the first place – she should not have found out like this. And most of all, I'm saddened by the fact that her and I will not be able to share this experience together. I wanted to be the one to hold her hand through her life in every way - including teaching her the history and culture of our people. I wanted it and he was going to get it. And there is absolutely nothing I can do about it. And not to mention that there was a small part of my brain that had taken what Isabelle said and stored it away, repeating itself like a mantra; _he's hot, he's hot, he's hot_. I stared out her bedroom window frozen in anger, until…

"Jace" she breathed as she approached me from behind, wrapping her arms around my waist. She kissed my back through my shirt. "I'm sorry for getting upset and running off. That didn't help anything. You know you can talk to me if you want to. I won't even have an opinion if you don't want me to. I can just listen."

After a moment I turned to face her, keeping her encircled in my arms. Her hair fell in loose curls around her face; the image toying playfully with my gut. Her eyes were searching mine, kind and understanding. How did I deserve her? What could I have possibly done to afford this gift: her love. I gently seized a stray curl, placing it back behind her ear. "I'm frustrated." I said honestly. "I'm frustrated with so many things, including myself."

She placed her hands on my cheeks, assuring that I was looking and listening. "Jace, I want you to know that I am _so_ sorry for what he did to you. I want to kill him for it. And I want you to know that no matter what I learn from him, no matter how much he can teach me, I can only truly be taught about our world from you. He may teach me from a book, but you and I will _experience_ it together. Heck, we have experienced it together. And I can't wait to experience more." She nudged me playfully. "Nothing can compare to that."

Then she kissed me…ever so gently. I grabbed her hair and pulled her in closer, one hand trailing down her back. I could never be close enough. I could never grasp her fragile frame close enough to mine. I knew that at any minute her lips were part and she would inhale my scent. And when she did, I would go fluid in her arms. Only she could have this effect on me. I brought my hands to her face and drew back, our face inches apart. "I love you, Clary."

She smiled her beautiful smile, grabbing my hand and kissing my palm, eyes coming back to mine. "I love you, too."

I brought her into my arms, cradling her head against my chest. "And just so you know, I'm not hurt by what he did – I'm pissed off. I'd like nothing more than to banish him from this earth. But I can't. And _that_ is also frustrating."

I pictured Tristan and me as young boys, playing in the front yard of my home in Alicante. I remember he always knew exactly how to react to my reactions. When I was mad, he knew how to calm me down. When I was frustrated, he knew what to say to drive me forward. I later learned that it was all an act. He was simply an actor in Valentines elaborate plan to overthrow The Clave. And I fell for it.

Suddenly the doorbell for The Institution rang. Clary drew back and looked at me, her expression anxious.

AN: I love hearing opinions. Let me know what you like/dislike about the story ;). Happy Friday everyone!!


	2. I want to hunt

Thank you to everyone that reviewed! It's always encouraging to read them. I hope that I can keep you all interested…;) Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, or the foundation from where they were built. I'm simply a puppet-master amongst Cassandra Clare's puppets. And that's all I gotsta say about that.

**CLARY p.o.v.**

As soon as we heard the sound Jace grabbed my hand and hurried me down the hallway. I don't know exactly what he was running from, but I'm guessing it was same thing I was running from – coming face to face with Tristan. If Maryse had told us from the time she received the news, we would have had more time to adjust. Or it would have at least given Jace and me some time to talk about it. But she didn't, and here we were, escaping through the back door of The Institute.

"Where are we going?" I panted, trying to keep up with Jace.

"We're going to meet up with Alec and Isabelle," he ordered, as he furiously dialed his cell phone. "I want to hunt."

In no time at all we were approaching Hot Wings, the, 'naughty, hottie, fairy-playground' as Jace refers to it as. I, on the other hand, refer to it as the, 'I'm stuck in this lame bar while all of these gorgeous, other-worldly creatures stare at my boyfriend-playground'. But what can I say, that seemed to be my life lately. It's not as if I'm a jealous girlfriend or anything, but a girl can only absorb so many blows to her self-esteem in one night.

"Jace, Clary, over here!" Isabelle yelled from a corner booth that rested in the shadows.

It was perfect for scouting the crowd while going unnoticed. The music, on the other hand, sounded like the DJ took a recording of a screeching cat, added some techno beats and threw it into the mix to play. It must be a fairy thing. Jace took my hand and led me through the crowd.

We arrived to find Isabelle and Alec huddled together, laughing over something on his cell phone's screen.

"Aren't you guys on patrol right now?" Jace asked, glancing back and forth between them. I could still sense the anger in his voice.

"We heard that there might be some Omni demons showing up here tonight, but so far, nothing," Alec explained. "Magnus is supposed to meet us here."

"We figured, why waist a perfectly good evening. And seeing as we're already here…" Isabelle hinted, letting her unfinished sentence speak for itself. "Plus, after the day you two have had, I'm sure you could use some distracting."

"I don't want to talk about it." Jace spat as he turned toward the bar.

I watched him as he approached the bar. The bar tender, dressed in less clothing than what I swim in, obviously liked what she saw. She had pixie-short, hot pink hair with olive colored skin. I saw him flash that gorgeous smile that I love so much. The one that had me hooked since the first time we…

"Doesn't that bother you?" Isabelle's asked, breaking me from my reverie.

I turned to face her. "Huh?" I asked, confused. "Does what bother me?"

"That he flirts with girls to get what he wants," she stated, as if it were a matter of fact.

"Doesn't that bother you at all? It would bother me," she shrugged as she continued to examine Jace at the bar.

I followed her gaze and watched Jace at the bar as he laughed casually with the bartender; soaking up all of the attention that she offered. He grabbed the drinks from her hands, hers 'accidentally' touching his, and then he winked at her before he turned to go.

How has this not bothered me before now? I mean, I guess I've just been too preoccupied with the whole save Idris, kill my father, talk to Angels kind of stuff; but I was not too preoccupied to notice right now. And thinking back over the last month I started to realize just how often he used his charm to get his way - too often. I definitely don't do that. Hell, I don't even like to be used as bait at Pandemonium.

He was near me then, still smiling.

"My dear," he said as he bowed his head and handed me a clear drink, obviously trying to be funny.

_Ew_. It smelt strong. "No thanks," I slid it toward Isabelle. "It's all yours."

Jace sat down and threw an arm over my shoulder. "You ok, Fray? You look…angry."

"I've told you not to call me that," I shot out. My words coming out with a little more intensity then I had meant them to. "And you know I don't drink. I'm not even close to being old enough yet."

"Hey," he said, turning my chin with his finger. "You ok? I didn't mean to piss you off."

I didn't know what to say. I absolutely hated being this type of girl. But I knew that if the tables were turned and it was I that was flirting, he would have taken the bartender's head as a trophy by now.

"And just because _you_ don't like to break the rules, doesn't mean I can't break them for the both of us," he said, with a crooked grin.

Resist the urge to kiss him. Resist the urge to punch him. Resist the urge to scream in frustration.

I shrugged casually, making my self seem impartial. "I just have some stuff on my mind, that's all."

It maybe wasn't the whole truth, but it wasn't a lie. I glanced at Isabelle and she winked at me.

"So, Alec, how are things going with Mr. Bane?" she asked. "You two seem to be spending a lot of time together."

"Thank you!" He said dramatically. "That's what I told him. He's saying we _don't_ spend enough time together. Are you kidding me? I have things to do you know," he said, twirling his seraph blade in his fingers expertly.

Jace laughed out loud. "Drama, drama, drama," he said shaking his head back and forth. "And put that thing away before someone sees you."

"Shut it Jace. I'm not the only one with drama in my life, am I?" Alec said without meeting Jace's eyes.

"Talk about drama. Try being me. I haven't seen my mom in a month. And before that she was in spell-induced coma. I just took part in killing my own father…if you can even call him that. I fell in love with Jace, who I was lead to believe was my brother but turned out not to be, and now I'm getting ready to train under someone that is hated by half of my family, including myself."

I smiled angelically. "I win."

I looked around to find three sets of very sympathetic eyes.

"Well," Alec said, breaking the silence, "you're by far the strongest person I know. I just can't wait to see your talent once you've learned how to harness it."

I laughed half-heartedly. "Thanks, Alec."

I don't know. Sometimes it seemed like I would never be able to hold my own beside Isabelle, Alec and Jace. And lately that was really getting me down. I didn't feel like my usual happy, feisty self. I felt like a child amongst adults.

Suddenly, Jace tensed at my side. "By the Angel," his wide eyes darting toward the door to a tall, skinny boy wearing all black. He was good looking - in a sense. Certainly not hot enough for how cocky he was acting. He had severe eyes that looked almost black. Dead give away - demon.

I turned to Jace who was now turned to Isabelle pointing him out. Her eyes lit with excitement as she spotted him. "Wish me luuuuck." Was all she cooed as she slid nimbly out of the booth. I smiled in anticipation.

The demon had made its way over to a table of three girls - his prey. I watched as he flirted with them, touched them casually, certainly earning some points with them. Just then Isabelle walked up and with one 'hello' shattered their dreams completely. The demon grabbed her hand and led her away. Isabelle turned to me and winked, leaving the gawking, but oh-so-lucky girls behind them to stare.

Jace turned to me, "Stay here. This is a small place. I don't want to draw any unnecessary attention."

"Jace, I - " Before I could finish he was gone.

"Sorry Clary," Alec said with a shrug as he slid out behind Jace.

_Ugh!_ I hate when Jace does this. Even after all that has happened, Jace still doesn't feel comfortable letting me fight while on patrol. Not until I have 'further physical and mental training', as he says. Even though I knew he was doing it to protect me, all it really did was make me feel incapable.

After they vanished I got up and made my way through the crowd and out the front door. This whole night was starting to give me a headache. I shut my eyes and let myself rest against the cool brick building, inhaling the city's familiar scent. My eyes shot open at the sound of a woman's high-pitched laugh and that's when I noticed him. It was a man. He was standing in the shadows all by himself. He had on a dark coat and shirt with jeans. He didn't move an inch. He just stood there with his hands in his pockets, staring straight at me. I couldn't make out his face but for a second I could have sworn that I saw what looked like a seraph blade hanging from his belt.

And then it was upon me: a crippling sharp pain just below the hairline on the back of my neck. For a moment it stunned me into paralysis. I grabbed at the area, frantically searching but finding nothing. And then as quickly as it had come, it was gone. And all that remained was a lovely, euphoric, dream-like feeling that seeped down throughout my entire body. A feeling that I would compare to the time I was put to sleep to have my wisdom teeth pulled; that feeling right before the gas submits you into subconsciousness. Yes, _that_ feeling, but on steroids.

"Hey!" I heard a voice, shattering the sensation inside of me and snapping me back into reality. I turned to see Jace hurrying over, Alec and Isabelle following behind him. "What are you doing out here? You scared me. I didn't know where you were."

I couldn't speak while my mind tried to comprehend what just happened. Did I just imagine that? Who knows, maybe all of the stress has finally caught up with me.

"That was cake!" Praised Isabelle. "He had no idea what was coming. He's lucky he got blessed with those looks, he wasn't the brightest bulb in the box."

"You didn't even do anything, Izzy. This one is on Jace," Alec corrected.

"No. _You_ didn't do anything. At least_ I_ reined him in," she corrected back.

I glanced back across the street but he was gone. "That was strange," I said allowed, but mostly to myself.

"What was strange?" Jace asked, snatching up my hand in his, "The fact that it took only one swipe with Raziel to do away with that pitiful excuse for a demon," he said, with a cocky grin.

"There was a guy over there," I said, pointing across the street as he pulled me along. "And then I felt – "Jace stopped.

"Was he bothering you?" his tone serious.

"No Jace, he wasn't bothering me, geez. He was just standing there, staring at me. Well, I guess it did kind of bother me, but not run away screaming bother me."

With an impatient half-grunt I waived us forward. "Never mind, let's go. I'm sure Maryse is just thrilled with us right now."

With that Jace suddenly became very quiet. I squeezed his hand and smiled reassuringly. This was going to be a loooooong night. And at some point I'd have to figure out how to describe to them what happened to me back there.

**JACE p.o.v.**

As we climbed the steps of the Institute my blood pressure shot up full throttle. The demon helped little. I was slightly anxious, mostly pissed and a little bit curious all at the same time. I wanted to get this over with. The doors opened automatically upon our approach.

"Church," I acknowledged as we entered the elevator. He stayed below, perhaps sending my unease.

Clary clutched to my hand and wore an expression of uncertainty. She was being sweet in trying to give me little encouragements here and there. But the truth was, she just couldn't understand where I was coming from. No one could. It's not so much that I hated this _child _for what he helped Valentine do to me back in Alicante: lie, but it was everything I didn't know that made me hate him. Did he know about Jonathon too? Did they sit there together and laugh at me behind me back? And what exactly did he see that finally gave him the good sense to run. That is what sat wrong within the pit of my stomach. And even above and beyond all of that, I despised him most for coming here to train Clary.

I threw the elevator doors open with a loud crash. Alec glanced up at me and gave one stern nod. He was on whatever side I was. _That_ is why we are Parabatai.

"This is going to be interesting," Isabelle said, checking her teeth in her seraph blade.

"Isabelle," Alec warned. Don't fuel the fire."

I laughed without humor. "Trust me Alec, there is plenty of fuel already," I said, glancing down at Clary, who was playing nervously with one of her loose curls. She twisted it between her fingers.

"What am I supposed to say to him?" Clary asked anxiously, looking to me for an answer. "I mean, am I supposed to be like, 'Hi. Hello. I hate you and I don't even know you yet'?"

I chuckled at her innocence - so precious.

"Why would you hate me already?" A voice echoed from behind us.

I spun immediately, instinctively shoving Clary behind my back and resting my hand on Raziel. It was difficult to see due to the exaggerated shadows lining the halls. He stepped into the light then.

Tristan.

Who knew? So it _was_ the same kid that could never beat me in combat, only older. I guess in some small measure of my mind I thought that this person claiming to be Tristan all of these years was not him at all. But it was.

"Jace," he acknowledged, with a slight tilt of the head.

Cocky was he? We'll see about that.

"Tristan," I said coldly, my jaw tight. "It's been a long time. But I'm afraid not long enough."

He chuckled and walked closer, stopping a mere five or six feet in front of us.

Just then Maryse came through the door of the kitchen and stopped. I could see her in my peripheral vision hurrying over to us.

"Oh good! I'm glad that you all came back so quickly," she praised, playing it cool.

When no one responded, she continued. "Alright then, let's get right down to business."

She walked to Tristan, who was still staring me directly in the eye, unmoving. She placed a hand on his shoulder and he flinched, snapping out of his trance and forcing his face into a smile.

"Let's start with the reason you've come to stay with us. Clary?" She called.

I watched as his eyes slid to the fiery redhead beside me, a smile crept to his lips.

**ISABELLE p.o.v.**

"Clary?" My mom called, trying to ignore the overwhelming hostility in the air. "Clary sweetie, there is someone I would like to introduce you to."

I watched as Jace tensed and then tightened his grip on Clary. I didn't have to be his sister to be able to tell that he hated this moment with everything he had inside of him. As protective as Jace is of Clary, I know that having to hand her over like this was killing him. But who could blame him? If some girl that I used to know, and later found out was a complete fraud, showed up years later to train my boyfriend to become a badass fighter, I'd be pissed too. Then you add the fact that he got crazy hot, and the fact that he helped Valentine brainwash you; but never got punished for it because of God knows why, you get what Jace is: completely furious.

Clary stepped out from behind Jace. It surprised me to see that her face was so confident, professional.

"Clarissa," she said, sticking her hand out in gesture.

Tristan smirked and grabbed her hand, shaking it. "Tristan. Tristan Ember. It's nice to finally put a face to a name."

Was he _flirting_ with her? Like, right in front of Jace? Does he know that they're together? Jace is gonna flip.

Clary held her mask of seriousness. "It's nice to meet you," she said, withdrawing her hand.

"I heard about what you did back in Idris," he continued as he rubbed his chin. "You sound pretty amazing."

Oh yeah, definitely flirting.

"Thank you. It was due to the help of my family."

"Well soon you'll be able to protect them all," he said, raising one eyebrow. I knew that Clary would be jealous that he could do the eyebrow thing.

When I looked at Tristan the first thing that came to mind was the timeless saying: tall, dark and handsome. He had short, dark, messy hair with light brown eyes. Those were always the first two things that I took notice of on any guy - hair and eyes, especially when they're framed with lashes like his. His body was of similar build to Jace; lean but toned. He wore black jeans with a black shirt and black boots. It was the typical 'night off' outfit for a Shadowhunter.

"So when do we start?" she asked, avoiding the awkward, get to know you conversation.

He chuckled. "All business I see. How about bright and early? Eight o'clock?"

She stepped back, grabbing Jace's hand. "I'll be there."

I need to step in or this is going to end badly. Be nice Isabelle. Be nice.

"Isabelle," I said, offering my hand.

"Tristan," he offered back. "I've heard about you too. You're the one with the whip, right?"

"Indeed", I nodded.

"I heard you did some damage in Alicante as well. Well done." He said, crossing his arms over his chest, studying me.

Creepy. But still super hot. Who doesn't like a little mystery?

"And this is my brother, Alec," I gestured to my brother.

"Alec. Nice to meet you," he said, shaking his hand. "I know a friend of yours. Magnus Bane. Him and I go back a few years. We met at a party."

"Oh, yeah, Magnus," Alex said, caught off-guard. His mask of seriousness faltered for a split second before he recovered and crossed his arms back over his chest. " He's a high warlock. A good friend of the family," Alec said, playing it cool.

Tristan spoke up then, "Well I'd like to thank you all for welcoming me into your home." I swear he was looking at Jace when he said that. And I wouldn't necessarily say he was welcome. "I'd like to assure you that I will be no trouble, and hope you come to find me as one of the family."

What? Was this a political speech now? He was so proper.

"Have a pleasant evening," he said as he turned to go. Then he stopped after a few feet and turned his head to look at Jace, and then to Clary. "I'm looking forward to tomorrow, Clarissa," he said, smiling. "I think that you and I are going to work very well together."

And with that, he continued on, closing the door to his bedroom behind him.

Everyone turned to Jace automatically. In all of the years I'd known him, throughout all of the battles we've fought together, I've never seen him look more murderous then he did in this moment.

To be continued…

AN: Well, I hope that you all enjoyed this chapter! I sure as heck enjoyed writing it.

Let me know what you think!

P.S. I promise to have more lovey-dovey stuff soon. I'm all about the mush.

Next chapter: It's time to see what you're made of.


	3. It's time to see what you're made of

Hello! I'm baaaaaack . THANK YOU for the kind reviews! I hope that this chapter is exactly what you're looking for…

**Disclaimer:** I'm not Cassandra Clare, the author of the books that inspire this fanfic. I don't own any of it. She's the mastermind. Enough said.

**CLARY p.o.v.**

"Jace!" I screamed. But it was too late. On the floor lay my mirror, shattered into a thousand pieces.

He dropped his fist, blood trickling down his knuckles to the floor. His back was toward me, facing the wall where my mirror once hung.

I jumped off of the bed, grabbing my stele from the nightstand. I rushed over to Jace, seizing his hand in mine. His knuckles were filled with shards of glass and blood.

"I'm sorry," he muttered, his head facing the floor. He was deep in thought; focused on something far away. "Don't heal me. I deserve the pain," he said flatly. "I broke your mirror."

I lifted his chin to meet my eyes. They were tight with anger…and something else I couldn't quite identify.

"You don't have to be sorry about anything," I assured him. "And I don't care about the stupid mirror," I added. "Now go sit on the bed and relax," I told him as I finished his iratze, "I'll clean up."

He did as he was told, without argument.

I knew that when Jace was most upset, he went quiet. Like most guys, especially Shadowhunters, he expressed it physically, not verbally. He didn't talk, he hit. He didn't scream out in frustration, he killed a demon. That's just…how he dealt. Who was I to criticize that? Hell, I even found it kind of sexy, though I would never admit it to him.

I opened my bedroom door and peeked out. It was all clear, so I padded over to the supply room and grabbed a broom and dustpan. I arrived back at my room to find Jace in the exact same position as when I left him – sitting on the edge of my bed, staring at the ground.

As I cleaned up the debris I didn't try to speak to him. I knew Jace well enough to know that when he was ready to talk, he would. Instead, my mind automatically wandered back to my interaction with Tristan. About the way he looked at me. It was almost as if he was trying to look inside of me, at something deeper. But that was crazy, right? As inappropriate and uncomfortable as it was, it also felt oddly…familiar? That was the closest word I could find to describe it. It's not as if I _liked_ how he looked at me. It was simply a strange feeling – like that wasn't the first time I'd seen him. There was something about him that left me on edge. I couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was, but I would make sure to find out.

"Can I stay with you tonight?" Jace suddenly asked, quietly.

I despised any night that he wasn't with me.

"Yes please," was all I said as I emptied the dustpan into the trash.

He looked over his shoulder and smiled half-heartedly, then turned his head back toward the ground.

After returning the items to the supply closet, I decided to take a quick shower. I needed all of the help I could get to clean this day from my memory.

I slipped on the usual; some sleep shorts and one of Jace's undershirts, and then returned to the bedroom. Jace was lying on the bed with his back against the headboard. He was still dressed in his gear, all the way down to his boots. He had Raziel in his hand and was concentrating intensely on the weapon. Over and over again he traced its line, activating and deactivating it. Its glow illuminated his face each time he said its name. There he was again, my avenging angel - so beautiful.

He noticed me then. A smile crept to his lips as his eyes ran the length of my body.

"I love when you wear my shirts," he said, getting up from the bed. He made his way over to me, his eyes never once leaving mine. He tossed his blade onto the bed and rested his hands on my hips, hooking his thumbs into the top of my shorts. That's all it took to send a warm wave of chills up and down my body. My heart was beating so hard I swear he could hear it.

He brought his hands up to my face, gently tilting my head to the side and trailing delicate kisses from my ear to my collarbone. He knew very well that this was my weak spot. If all else fails, he simply has to visit this area, and I'm done for. I exhaled in bliss, closing my eyes to luxuriate in the sensation. He chuckled then.

"Jace," I murmured; eyes still shut.

"Hmmmm," he hummed into my neck.

"Don't you want to talk?" I asked, breathlessly. Why was _I_ even talking?

"Nope," he clarified simply.

He pulled his lips from my neck and drew back to look at me. His eyes were tender. He pulled my face to his and kissed me gently. Then he deepened the kiss, and dropped his hands to the small of my back drawing me closer.

I knew that if I didn't stop it now, I would never be able to.

"Jace," I said as I drew back from him, slightly panting.

"Claaaaaarrryy," he whined as he tilted his head back.

"I'm sorry, Jace," I said, pulling his face back down to mine, "But I really think we should talk about what happened tonight."

Even if he didn't want to talk, I did. We haven't even discussed Tristan yet, and I'm not sure we ever would. What else was there to know? I knew what he did to Jace, for the most part.

With a defeated sigh, Jace turned toward my bed and sat down on its edge. He let his body fall back onto the mattress, leaving his feet planted on the floor.

I followed suit and curled up next to him, my knees resting against his hips, both of us staring at the ceiling.

"Are you ok?" I asked, immediately regretting the stupid question. Nice Clary, way to get him to open up.

"What do you think?"

"You're right. Dumb question," I admitted.

Where to start? There was so much I wanted to ask him.

"Are you curious to know where he has been all of these years?"

He must be. He must want to know the where's and why's of it all.

He considered the question for a moment before answering, "Yes. I'm curious," he said, taking another brief pause, "Not that it will make one bit of difference though. I still plan on hating him," the tone of his voice more severe with that last sentence.

We sat in silence for a moment before he continued, "And I'm fairly certain that his feelings toward me were obvious. He holds no remorse. He even flirted with my girlfriend in front of me," he laughed without humor, "and I could do nothing about it."

_Yeah…about that…I get this strange feeling when I'm near him. I'm not quite sure how to describe it. It's as if there is something inside my head mixing up my thoughts and feelings._

I didn't dare tell him that. Those words would most definitely bring trouble - something I needed no more of in my life. I could figure this out on my own…if there was even anything to figure out.

"Well…is there anything I can do to make you feel better?" I turned my head toward him.

He chuckled once and looked at me. "We were doing it, until you stopped me," he smiled looking back up to the ceiling.

_Oh_. I get it. Good one again, Clary. You're a genius at this relationship stuff.

I was torn somewhere in between wanting to tell him all about what happened to me outside of Hot Wings and wanting to comfort him and tell him that everything was going to be ok.

I chose neither of the two.

I reached over, placing one hand on his cheek, turning his face to mine. A flicker of awareness washed over him immediately, that wicked little sparkle coming to life. I raised myself up onto my elbow and ran my thumb over his eyebrow before bringing my lips down onto his. I buried my hand in his hair, gripping a handful of it and pulling him closer. If this is what he wants in order to feel better, I'd happily give it to him. He let out a soft moan and clutched my wrists, pinning me down on my back. I giggled in excitement. Then he bit the skin of my neck ever so gently, causing my leg to spasm and come shooting up hard, right into his rib cage.

"Ow," he said, laughing. He had rolled over onto his back and was rubbing the area.

"Oh! Jace...I'm sorry!" I exclaimed, as I squirmed upright to check him. "It just tickled when you did that. I didn't mean to knee you," I said, slightly embarrassed.

"You know the whole pain for pleasure thing really isn't my forte," he said, still chuckling. "But if it's what _you're_ looking for, I be happy to tie you up," he said, lifting an eyebrow curiously.

And with that said, we continued without interruption.

**JACE p.o.v.**

I woke up to find that Clary was gone. Her side of the bed was empty. I hated waking up without her. I glanced at the clock, 7:39 a.m. Maybe she already went to the training room? I shoved the covers off of me and sprang out of bed. How could she leave without saying goodbye? She'll usually at least leave a note. The thought hurt a little as I made my way down the corridor. I retrieved my seraph blade and marked myself with an energy ruin. I must not have slept well.

There was no sign of Tristan yet, but I found myself anxious as I approached the training rooms' intricate doors. They were beautiful in that they were carved by hand from wood taken straight from the forests of Idris. But it wasn't the beauty of the doors that stopped me dead in my tracks; it was what was behind them that did it. What I saw when I entered that room stopped my heart instantly – it no longer beat. It was Clary and Tristan, intertwined in a passionate embrace. Their bodies pushed so close together that they could have been one person. Her tiny, delicate hands held fistfuls of his shirt, while he ran his hands through her hair. The same hair that up until now I thought belonged to my hands and my hands alone. Then he was slowly removing her tank top over her head, the both of them laughing together.

This couldn't be happening. There was nothing without her. No joy. No love. No trust. No life. Nothing.

"No," I breathed, the seraph blade falling from my fingers and clattering to the ground.

They broke apart and turned toward me instantly. Their expressions were less, shocked for being caught, and more, annoyed for being interrupted. Clary's eyes narrowed at me before she turned back to Tristan and dove in for seconds. What had happened to her?

My stomach ached and twisted at the sight.

Suddenly I was drowning, unable to breathe. And then I broke the surface.

I hurled my body up right in bed, gasping for breath. The nape of my neck was moist with sweat. I immediately looked to my side and found Clary, relief washing through me like an iratze. She was fast asleep, curled up next to me. Her knees were tucked to her chest and her arm was slung over my waist, completely oblivious to what I had just imagined. I shook the horrific nightmare from my mind and leaned down to run my fingers through her hair and kiss her lips gently. She murmured something and then fell back into unconsciousness. I let out a long sigh and glanced at the clock, 3:12 a.m., great. I already knew there was no hope of falling back asleep now. Not after that. In less than five hours Clary would begin her first training session with Tristan. I clenched my hands into fists at the thought.

I slid out from under her arm and crept to the bathroom. I grabbed either side of the sink and stared at myself in the mirror, my eyes automatically shifting to the faded scar on my chest. It was a faint reminder of the time Valentine pierced me with Maellartach, the immortal sword. Just before Clary saved me.

My thoughts then shifted back to Tristan. The way he looked at Clary, or rather, _stared_ at Clary. That would be more accurate. Or the way he rubbed his chin and told her she was "amazing". I felt my hands tense and the sink shifted under the pressure. I eased up, not wanting to shatter it, too. There was something that was not quite right about him. Aside from the hostility and jealousy he provoked in me, there was something else, waiting for the opportunity to show itself. If he thought that he could hide in plain sight, he was sorely mistaken. I learned that lesson with Sebastian, or Jonathon, rather. I knew whom I needed to speak too.

I snagged my clothes from the chair and dressed quickly. I scribbled a note for Clary and left it on my pillow. With one last look at her delicate features, I kissed her forehead and headed for the door, grabbing my weapons belt on the way. It was time to do a little research.

**CLARY p.o.v.**

My room was blindingly bright when I awoke. I don't think I could ever get used to this white wall nonsense. If I were staying longer, I would consider painting them a different color – a more moody color. I felt something underneath my head; I lifted it to see what it was. It was a note from Jace. I'd know that messy handwriting anywhere. I turned over to find that he was gone. _Dang!_ I hated waking up without him.

The note read: _Good Morning Sunshine, I hate to leave you like I did, but there was something that I had to do. I'll be back this afternoon. I love you. And don't forget your mom gets back today._

With that I sprang out of bed. I'll do what I have to do with Tristan, and then I'll rush over to see my mom. Today was going to be her first day back from Idris. The Clave asked her and Luke to stay behind in order to help them sort through the aftermath of the war. With the newfound unity between the Shadowhunters and Downworlders, it was a necessity that they stay.

It was only seven-fifteen, which means I had plenty of time to eat before I had to meet Tristan at the training room. Great, here we go – training. I can't say that I wasn't excited to become 'badass', as Isabelle likes to say. It was just hard to get too excited considering the circumstances under which I'm training.

After freshening up, I threw on a black sports bra, a black tank top and black shorts with my running shoes. With my hair up in a ponytail and my weapons belt in hand, I made my way to the kitchen.

I swung the doors open to find Izzy fidgeting impatiently with the stove.

"Piece of crap!" She yelped, trying, but failing miserably to cook what looked like an omelet.

I giggled to myself.

"A for effort," I spoke up.

She whirled to look at me, blowing a stray hair out of her face, "Tell me about it. This stove is ruining my breakfast."

I walked over and grabbed the pan from the stove, dumping its contents into the sink.

"Allow me," I said, opening the fridge and fishing for ingredients.

"You're the best," she said excitedly, handing me the spatula. "You think you can create me a cooking ruin?" she joked, leaning against the counter. Although she was probably hoping I'd say 'yes'.

I smirked at her, "I'll see what I can do."

"So where's Jace? After what happened yesterday, I was absolutely sure that he'd be escorting you to and from the training room," she said, hinting at the obvious.

We laughed together. Her at my facial expression and me at the ridiculous situation I found myself in. It was barely one month ago that we fought in Idris. We were just learning how to live life without the threat of death looming over our heads. Jace and I could be together, the way we always wanted to. And now this?

"I'm not sure where he went. He left me a note that said he had something to do. I'm not even sure what time he left. I don't know what could have been so important," I said as I cracked the last of the eggs into the pan.

"Weird. Alec is gone too. Maybe they went somewhere together? I'll call his cell."

She quickly dialed Alec's number, tapping impatiently on the counters edge. After a few moments she spoke, "Alec, it's Izzy. Where in the hell are you? Is Jace with you? CALL ME BACK," she huffed and snapped her phone shut, throwing her long braided ponytail from one shoulder to the other. "Boys," she shrugged.

I handed her a newly cooked omelet and we both rested against the counter to eat.

"Mmmmm, thanks," she cooed.

After taking a minute to enjoy the first few bites, Isabelle looked at me and asked, "So what do you think of boy wonder? You know he's got the hots for you, right?" She said it like it was the obvious thing and there was no point in discussing it.

I laughed lightly and took another bite. You've got to love Izzy. She'll be the first person to tell you how it really is, with no cushion to soften the blow.

Eight o'clock was fast approaching so there was no point in starting this conversation now, "Another time," I promised, "Time to report for duty," I said with an exaggerated smile, handing her my plate and shoving away from the counter.

Just as I passed through the doors I heard her yell, "I expect a full report Clary! Including a rundown on what's he's wearing!"

………………………………………………

The nerves in my stomach twitched as I walked through the corridor to the training room. Before now, I had never thought of the training room as an intimidating place. It was just one room amongst dozens of others. But right now, when its sole purpose was to be the breeding ground for my talent, I couldn't help but feel…intimidated.

I stopped a couple of feet in front of the large doors and took a deep breath, needing just one more moment to myself before walking through them. I raised my hand to push them open…

"Allow me," a voice called.

I turned to see a peppy looking Tristan approaching, wearing that same cocky grin he had on last night. He brushed past me with a smile and shoved the doors open before waiving me through.

I readied myself for that strange feeling, the one I got in his presence, but it never came. I concentrated again, but nothing. Maybe I _was_ crazy?

I lifted my chin, "Thanks," I said indifferently, as I walked into the room.

I might have been hearing things but I could have sworn I heard him chuckle behind me.

The training room looked amazing this time of day. With the early morning light filtering in through the high windows, it created beams of light in every direction. You could see the tiny dust motes floating through the air, passing from one beam of light to another.

"So are you ready for your first lesson?" he asked, his back toward me. He was standing at a wooden table, placing a multitude of different weapons on it; seraph blades, swords, wooden sticks and many other strange forms of weaponry I'd never seen before.

"Sure," I replied.

"Know your surroundings," was all he said.

"That's it?" I asked as I examined him. He was about the same size as Jace when it came to height and build. Right now he wore black boots, black pants and a dark blue undershirt. His weapons belt hung empty around his hips.

He looked at me from over his shoulder, seeming to be amused that I was even questioning him. His finished fidgeting with his weapons and hen turned to me, more serious now.

"Close your eyes," he commanded.

"Huh?" Where was he going with this?

"Don't ask so many questions," he said, "close your eyes."

I did as I was told, "Ok, they're closed."

I heard his footsteps circling me then. I took my weapons belt and fastened it around my waste, the familiar feeling of Gabriel and Sammael taught against my sides.

"Nice blades," he commented, "they suit you."

I could sense him in front of me. And then he asked me a question I was not expecting.

"How many exits are in this room?"

_Huh?_ He must have sensed my confusion.

"I asked you how many exits are in this room?" he repeated.

I thought about it for a minute, "One?" It came out like more of a question than an answer.

"There are three exits," he answered. "The most obvious being the door that leads into the room, the second being the round window directly above the weapons table, and the third being the window directly behind you."

No way.

I opened my eyes to examine for myself. I looked above the weapons table, and sure enough, there was a window that sat about four feet above a large wooden beam. The beam spanned across the room from wall to wall. It was easily accessible from the table where Tristan's weapons lye. The rest of the windows on that wall were much too high to ever be reached. Then I turned around to face the window that had been behind me. It was a beautiful, tall stained glass window that could easily be broken with one flick of a seraph blade. I twisted back to face him.

"Lesson number one, know your surroundings," he said, with the tiniest hint of a smirk. "You never know when you'll have to bail, so from now on, the first thing I want you to do when you enter a new place is scan your surroundings. Doors, windows, vents, floorboards, anything and everything that could aid you in an escape."

"Ok," I said, slightly embarrassed but taking his advice seriously.

"Good, then let's continue. Follow me," he said before heading toward his weapons.

"I won't always be bringing such a variety," he motioned to the table, "but seeing as it's our first session together, we need to practice with them all. I need to see where your skill level is at."

He grabbed one of the seraph blades, the meaner looking one. He examined it closely before calling it, "Ezekiel", then the blade flared to life. It blazed bright as he flipped it through the air casually. I could never get over how beautiful they looked. Especially knowing that they were used to end life. He looked at me, "You ready?" his light eyes challenging me, "It's time to see what you're made of."

**AN:** PHEW! That was a long one. But sooooooo much fun to write! And I'm sorry to leave it hanging like that…but I intend to dedicate some serious time into the first training session. Thanks for reading!

And a special thanks to those of you who've commented and added it to your favorites ;)

_Next Chapter: I'm not such a bad guy you know?_


	4. AN1

Hi guys! Happy (late) Mother's Day to all of the mommy's out there ;). I'm not a mom _yet_…but maybe someday.

Just a few things that I would like to clarify before I post the next chapter (which should be up soon; if not tonight, then tomorrow night for sure).

In regard to **coraline olivin's **question: Yes ma'am, in my story Jace and Clary have slept together. As in, they've done the deed. I know I didn't make that too clear in the second chapter, so I figured I'd answer that question straight out. I didn't really want to make a big deal out of it because that topic will come up later in the story ;). And thanks for the nice review **coralline o**!

Now, I'm kind of annoyed at my automatic spell check (and myself for not noticing before posting), because it keeps changing my word rune to ruin. SO annoying! Sorry about that…I'll make sure to keep an eye out next time. I know that for me personally, the stories are always more enjoyable when things are spelled correctly. For example…in the first chapter I said Alex instead of Alec. Oops!

Also, I'm sure you've noticed that I'm _very_ detailed in my writing. I know that this can be annoying to some. But again, I always enjoy a story when you can really picture the scene at hand. I like to know facial expression, hand gestures and everything in between. Hopefully you guys feel the same way. And if not, who knows, maybe I can change your mind?

Well, I feel like there was more I needed to talk about but I'm having a brain-fart right now (that seems to happen to me…A LOT).

Thanks again to everyone that is following the story! I'll have the next chapter up soon! But in the meantime…here is a little teaser ;).

**_I'm not such a bad guy you know__?_**

**_…We were now looking at the same boy through a slight crack in the door; spying on him. He was sitting on a medical table, gripping its edge in anticipation. Beads of sweat ran from his brow. A tall man wearing a long dark cloak approached the boy and injected him with something. Something that made him suddenly bite down hard on the cloth pinned between his teeth..._**

To be continued….

Check back soon! I can't wait to show you what happens…

P.S. Hopefully I'm not a total nerd for doing this AN in the first place :D. If so, long live the nerds!!


	5. I'm not such a bad guy you know?

Heelllloooooooo everyone! I'm horrible I know . I can't believe it took me this long to submit my next chapter! I promise promise promise that it'll never take me this long to update again. But aside from the fact that I'm kinda lame….I really hope that you guys enjoy this chapter!

Disclaimer: I'm not Cassandra…these aren't my characters…this is all in fun . Nuff said.

**JACE p.o.v.**

"Jace, this is crazy," Alec warned, "You're not seriously considering doing this, are you?" Before allowing me a chance at a witty retort he continued, "No. I can't let you do it. I _won't_ let you do it," he clarified.

"And what, you're going to stop me?" I challenged, knowing he never would, or could for that matter. My eyes shifted to over Alec's shoulder where a girl stood, leaning against the counter. She was pretty, in an average, every-other-girl kind of way: blonde, lots of makeup, tight clothes leaving very little to the imagination. She was giving me a not so subtle come-hither look; it was painstakingly obvious. I smiled politely and left it at that. There was only one girl that I wanted to look at me that way. I missed her already. But then again, when didn't I?

Alec snagged the menu from my grasp and discarded it to the seat next to him, not once looking away from me.

I sometimes forgot how fierce he could be when he wanted to…

"Jace, listen to me," he said, expression serious. "The Seelie Queen is no one to gamble with. There is no way she's going to give you something for free. She will demand payment, one way or another."

…especially when it came to his family.

I cocked my head sideways and smiled at him in mock humor, "It's endearing you know? How much you worry about me. But I'll have you know that I'm taken." _By the little redhead that's destined to save our kind…by the way._

"Jace, don't," he cautioned.

What did he want me to say? I knew he was right, technically. But as I saw it there was no other choice. The Seelie Queen was the only one with knowledge great enough to answer my questions. And if it meant that I would have to walk into the pits of hell to get them, I'd gladly go. And since when did I ever back down from a challenge? "And what do you suggest I–"

"Forget about it," he shot out, cutting me off, "Let things happen how they're going to happen. I know that you don't like Clary training with Tristan, and I don't blame you. But I really think that you'll be doing more harm than good by enlisting the help of the Seelie Court," he pleaded, "No good can come from it."

I considered his words for a moment. "Alec, the fact that he's training Clary is not what's driving me to such extremes," _yeah_ _right_. He rolled his eyes, "It's the fact that I know, somewhere inside of him, he's hiding who he really is."

He made an impatient noise but didn't argue.

"I get that same menacing feeling from him that I had around Jonathon. And look what almost happened as a result. Look what _did_ happen." _I almost died. Clary almost died, which would have killed me…Max did die._ My stomach twisted as I pushed the thought from my head. "I ignored it then but I will _not_ ignore it now."

He looked at me for a long moment before shaking his head and handing me back my menu. "Fine," he finally spoke, "but you're not going without me. Don't you dare try and negotiate that."

I nodded once in agreement.

And then he added, in a much lighter, almost teasing tone, "And enlighten me Jace, what are you going to tell Clary?"

**4 hours earlier**

**ALEC p.o.v.**

I snapped awake as soon as I heard it. It was a familiar sound – the un-greased hinges of my bedroom door. I grasped the seraph blade that I kept hidden under my pillow and instantly cut off my breathing. I heard one footstep…and then another…and then another. I whirled out of bed, "Chamuel," I hissed, lighting up the room instantly.

It was Jace. He was fully dressed, weapons belt in hand.

"What in the hell are you doing in here?" I yelled in a whisper, "I could have killed you."

He chuckled and then cleared his throat, "So its briefs I see."

I looked down immediately, my face heating up in embarrassment. Thank the Angel it was too dark for him to see that _Property of Magnus_ was stitched into the leg. They were a gift.

"Shut up," I said, grabbing my pants from the dresser, "It's three-fifteen in the morning. What are you doing?"

"I need you to come with me to see Magnus," he said, getting right to the point.

I measured him for a moment knowing that he would never have asked me if it wasn't important. "Fine. Give me a minute," I agreed, "And you owe me."

He turned to leave then, "How about I have Magnus get you some more embroidered boxers," he laughed as he walked out.

_Dammit!_ I'm never gonna live this one down.

…..

"Oh boy, who died now?" Magnus asked when he opened the door to find us. He was dressed in a thick, purple robe and was drinking something that was glowing green.

I laughed lightly at the image, "Nobody died. Jace wanted to come see you."

He eyed Jace over his black-framed spectacles. "At four o'clock in the morning?"

"I need to talk to you about an old friend of yours," Jace told him, "Does the name Tristan Ember ring a bell?"

"It may," he shrugged, "I can check for you. Come in."

'_I can check for you.'_ What was the meaning of that? I was eager to find out.

We approached the living room to find Chairman Meow perched on a pillow in front of the TV, watching Project Runway. He was dressed in a black sweater with the initials CM in sequins on the back. He inclined his head to us momentarily before deciding we were of no interest to him and turned back to the show.

Magnus chuckled, "What can I say? Chairman Meow loves fashion."

He waived us to circular, wooden table that was conveniently placed in the center of the room. It was a new addition since the last time I was here – yesterday. Things always seemed to be appearing out of nowhere, because they generally were. "Courtesy of the home furnishing store in Greenwich Village," he said as he turned and winked at me.

I turned quickly to look at Jace. I understood all to well that if he had noticed that flirtatious gesture, he would surely be mocking me about it at a later time. Luckily he hadn't. He was lost in thought, absent-mindedly running his finger over the rune that Clary had placed on him - for love. I was still amazed at how much one itsy-bitsy girl had altered him completely and permanently. We all were, including him. It was like night and day. Like one minute someone simply flipped a switch and there he was. Before her he was empty and sad, maybe even a little lost, even though he would never have admitted it. He was always at war with himself as well as the demons that threatened our lives. But his inner turmoil evaporated when she stumbled into our world – The Shadow World, and he hasn't been the same ever since. I turned my focus back to Magnus, who was scanning a large carbon fiber bookshelf. Its contents ranged from cookbooks to spell books, and everything in between; hundreds of them. After a moment he stopped on an old leather bound book and pulled it from its shelf. It didn't look like much. I'm not quite sure what he'd need it for. Maybe it was a photo album?

"What's that for?" Jace asked, looking confused.

"Patience little Shadowhunter," was all Magnus replied before joining us.

He gently placed the book on the table and wiped its cover. Upon closer inspection it resembled that of a journal and not a book. With its tattered and delicate features; the spine of it held together with a spiral of worn leather, I couldn't help but visit the possibilities of what might be hidden inside. Spells possibly? Or maybe a personal account of someone's life? But that seemed unlikely with the matter at hand. If I had to guess I would be confident in saying that it has survived the ages; possibly passed down from generation to generation. Again, with Magnus the possibilities were infinite. All I know is that he is a warlock; a very flamboyant but very gifted warlock, and that meant that all bets were off.

I held my breath in anticipation as the book fell open. What I found is that whatever scenarios I had considered before were null and void, because when I stared at the pages before us…they were blank. Empty. There was nothing printed on them, nothing at all. But yet they held the same antiquated look as the exterior - as if they should hold secret spells or an ancient script. But no, they were blank. I looked at Jace in confusion.

"This had better be going somewhere," Jace said, growing impatient.

Magnus ignored him, retrieving a small glass vile filled with white dust, from inside his robe's pocket. He shook it lightly in front of Jace's eyes before sprinkling the glittery powder over the blank sheet of paper. After rubbing his hands together and positioning them over the page palms down, he closed his eyes and began speaking in a faint whisper. I tried to make out what he was saying but his words were barely a breath. And then that's when it happened. My eyes instantly focused as the dust began to rumble and then rise, forming a fragile cloud that hovered slightly over the page. I glanced at Jace whose eyes were full of excitement now. Then the images started, and they came fast, one after another – like mini movies. The dust created a delicate curtain for them to project themselves onto. The first image whirled and then snapped into focus - it was of Magnus arriving at a party. Then it flashed to a group of four people talking in the corner, followed by a close up of their faces, one after another: Magnus, girl, boy…Tristan. He was younger, but it was definitely him.

"Aaaah, I see," Magnus cooed.

Suddenly the picture shifted, taking us to a different time and venue. The first image was of a large mansion atop a great knoll. I heard Jace gasp. "My house," he breathed.

Then we were inside, looking at a young boy from the other end of a long dark hallway. Once again the image changed, but this time the projection slowed to a much more normal speed. We were now looking at the same boy through a slight crack in the door; spying on him. He was sitting on a medical table, gripping its edge in anticipation. Beads of sweat ran from his brow. A tall man wearing a long dark cloak approached the boy, inserting a needle into his arm and injecting him with something. Something that made him suddenly bite down hard on the cloth pinned between his teeth. Just as the tall man turned the image fell away and it changed to two boys, sword fighting in the front yard with wooden sticks, laughing together.

"Tristan," Jace said, louder this time. And with that, the images broke apart and fell away, the dust evaporating into thin air. He looked up at Magnus, his eyes full of questions.

"Can you show me more?" Jace asked, his voice on edge, "And that was Valentine in that cloak, I know it. What was he doing to Tristan? What was he injecting him with? Can you show me that?"

"Regretfully no, that I cannot show you," he said, "I can only show you what your mind and mine have seen of him. And even with that we'll only ever see mere moments. If we would have watched longer we would have eventually seen him through Alec's perspective, when he met him yesterday."

"But that couldn't have been through my perspective. I would have remembered that. I would have remembered seeing that," he urged.

"I'm afraid I have nothing more to tell you. And yes, that was indeed from your perspective. That is the only way it works. Just because you cannot remember doesn't mean you did not bare witness. Or, perhaps you were made to forget," he said gazing off and tapping his chin. After a moment he refocused, "Either way there is nothing more I can show you right now. We must wait at least one full day to try again."

Jace sighed angrily and paced the room, "You recognized him, I could tell. Is there anything you remember about him?"

"Yes, it's true I recognize him. And yes, I remember him. But no, there was no significance to our conversation. Only chit chat," Magnus clarified, shrugging at us both.

Jace fell back into the chair with a huff. With that look of consternation on his face I could tell that he was thinking hard about something. Magnus must have noticed as well.

"You know, if this matter is of that great importance to you, the Seelie Queen could be of service," Magnus said as he gathered the book off of the table, placing it back on the shelf.

Jace's head immediately shot in my direction, "How 'bout it Alec?" he dared, "Breakfast then a fairy-hunt for Meliorn?"

**CLARY p.o.v.**

"I'm ready when you are," I challenged before walking toward the center of the room.

I turned to see that Tristan had taken a casual fighting stance; his seraph blade was swinging around his finger. I grabbed Gabriel from my side calling it to life. It flared dark purple creating a small arc over my hand that stretched from one end of my blade to the other.

"Go ahead. I'll let you have the first shot," he said, as if there is no way I could get close enough to land one so he mine as well throw me a bone.

That made my blood boil.

So without hesitation, I did. I immediately lowered to the ground swinging one leg out in a large circle hoping to catch his feet and bring him down onto his back. No such luck. Faster than I could comprehend, he was standing behind me, seraph blade at my throat. His other hand was across my torso, pinning me to his body. I could feel his breath on my ear, slow and steady. He held that position for a moment before speaking.

"Lesson number two, don't react," he spoke quietly.

His hand lingered on my hip for more time than necessary before sliding back across my stomach and releasing me. He walked around my side and I could feel his eyes scanning me from top to bottom. I didn't dare look and give him the satisfaction he was so desperately seeking. He stopped a few feet in front of me.

_Don't say anything to him, Clary... it will only make it worse. If you ignore it, he'll eventually stop and maybe you can go back to trying to figure out what's really going on with him._

"What do you mean when you say that?" I asked, trying to ignore my impulse to say _screw this_ and walk out. _And what are you trying to do, get yourself killed? Jace already hates you, even without all of this…_

"What I mean by that is just what I said. You reacted to my taunt; it's as simple as that. You didn't take a moment to weigh your options. You did the first thing that came to your mind," he said tapping his finger to his temple, "and that type if fighting will get you killed. Maybe not by an average run of the mill demon, because they're stupid of course. But if you were to come face to face with a skilled fighter, like myself, you wouldn't stand a chance."

I lowered my head, retracting my seraph blade and shoving it back in its holster. I hated that he was right, "That's what Jace always tells me."

_Jace_. I missed him. Where was he?

"Aaww, yes…Jace," he said with a wicked twinkle in his eye.

I lifted my chin to him and crossed my arms, "Yes, Jace. What about it? My protective side became apparent.

"I'm sure he's told you," he assumed, "We were great friends once."

He assumed too much. Jace hadn't told me a thing before yesterday. But I wouldn't correct him.

"I've heard some things," I admitted. "But obviously you're talent outweighs your crimes."

He looked taken aback for a moment before rearranging his features into a grin, stepping forward and coming within inches of my face, "I'm not such a bad guy, you know?" he said as he cocked an eyebrow at me, "Once you get to know me, I'm fairly certain you'll agree." And with that said he turned on his heel and headed back to the weapons table.

Training continued on like that for the next couple of hours. We battled with each and every weapon that he had brought with him; I was surprised at how quickly I began to catch on. I think he was too. I found myself guessing his moves before he made them. But during our final struggle I guessed wrong and his sword caught my side, leaving a cut several inches long in its place. He ran over immediately to check the wound. I batted his hand away, "I'm fine."

He smirked, "Indeed you are," and then grabbed my hand, unlatching the sword from my sweaty grip. "I think that's enough for right now. And I need a shower. You interested?" he asked before he turned to collect his weapons.

That was it, "You have a death wish or something?"

"Why?" he asked without turning to face me, "Am I doing something that would warrant that?"

This conversation was going nowhere fast. I took the next few moments to study him; the way he walked, as if he didn't have a care in the world - so steady and sure. As if his current situation was 'just another day at the office.' It irked me to think he could be so blaze about the whole thing - especially when it affected Jace in the exact opposite.

"So where did you go when you left Idris?" I asked outright.

His hands instantly stopped what they were doing and he turned to me, slowly. His eyes were guarded and dark. "Who says I left Idris?" he asked, his mood shifting to anger before my eyes.

"Everyone," I told him, "They said that you found out something that you didn't like and you ran. You ran and you left Jace there to fend for himself," I continued, "How could you do that?"

His darkened eyes narrowed at me, "You don't know what you're talking about, Clarissa. None of you do."

I followed his lead and took a step forward, "Well why don't you enlighten me then? Did Valentine threaten you? Or did you just finally come to realize that what you were doing was I don't know…wrong? "

"It's nothing that you could possibly understand, let alone comprehend!" he shouted suddenly. His knuckles were white while his fists were clenched at his sides.

"Then why don't you tell me so that I can decide for myself?" I yelled back, partly at him and partly at the fact that everyone always tried to hide the bad things from me; 'for my own good', apparently.

He stood there for a second, staring at me, chest heaving. The conversation hadn't even gotten that far and he was already furious. But behind his mask of chagrin, I could see that there was something else. There was something sad and vulnerable. It was barely there, but it was there. Then he blinked and it was gone, replaced by his usual cocky, self-assured expression. He turned away from me without another word, gathering the last of his weapons.

I huffed, snatching my weapons belt from the floor and headed toward the exit.

And then, as if the last two minutes didn't just take place, he cheerfully called out from behind me, "So, get cleaned up because training isn't over yet."

I turned my head slowly and glared at him from over my shoulder. He was clearly enjoying this. "What? Are you kidding me?"

"I'd like to see what you're capable of in a real life situation. I want to go hunting with you. It's the last thing I need to see in order to properly evaluate you," he claimed, "As far as work goes at least," his eyes grazed me…again.

Wonderful, I have a bi-polar mentor. Regardless of _his_ sudden switch in color palette, _I_ was still fuming, "Where at?" I asked through my teeth.

He thought about it for a moment, "I saw a flyer on the street for a nightclub. Pandemonium I think. We'll go there."

I didn't' even care to tell him that we'd all been there - many times. "Fine, but I'm at least bringing Izzy," I said before I stormed out.

I quick went to my room to grab my cell phone, which had three voicemails – all from Jace, and bee lined it for the elevator. After listening to Jace's messages, none of which told me his where a bouts, I left him one of my own letting him know that I was going to visit my mom. Thirty minutes later I was walking up the familiar steps to our apartment.

"Mom?" I yelled pushing the door open. Everything was different, yet the same. The smells and sounds were the same, but the decor had changed a bit - obviously. That stupid demon broke all of our stuff when he decided to attack me in my own home. Right before I killed him, of course.

"Clary!" my mom shrieked excitedly as she bounded toward me, grabbing me in a tight embrace.

"Mom…mom…I can't breathe," I huffed and she released me.

"Sweetie how are you? How are things going here? How's training going? How's Jace? You two seemed to be getting pretty close in Alicante," she said, emphasizing that last sentence, trying to sound indifferent but failing miserably.

"Whoa, one thing at a time," I laughed, "Let's sit down. There's a lot to tell."

We spent the whole afternoon catching up and sharing stories. I told her all about Tristan and how much Jace hated him and why. I told her about my training and how much I learned in just one day. I told her how I already felt stronger, mentally and physically. I purposely left out the part about the whole neck spasm/feeling I get around Tristan stuff. That would only make her worry. Then she told me about the new alliance between the downworlders and shadowhunters, and about her and Luke and how much their relationship had changed over the past month. She also told me that I was of great interest to the Clave, (which I already knew), and that they are very curious to see what comes of my developments. It went on and on like that for what seemed like hours, but I didn't care. My mom was home, and safe, and happy.

"So," she grinned at me while she poured us two cups of lemonade, "have you thought about where you would like to live?"

_What? Not_ what I was expecting her to ask. "I didn't…I mean I did…I didn't know that you were going to let me choose?" I said it like a question.

She set the cups down and rested her hands on my shoulders, "Clary, I love you. And you're always welcome here…always. But you're an adult. Maybe not technically, but after everything you've been through in the last year, and how much you've grown, I have no reason to treat you like a child. You're a hero, Clary. Everyone knows it. Even the Clave knows that without your efforts, things would have gone from bad to much, much worse."

I felt myself blush slightly at the compliment she was paying me. I couldn't help it. I remember how many times Jace told me those exact words. I believe he was trying to seduce me the last time he said them, but I tended to just shy away from them. I didn't consider myself a hero; above average - possibly, hero - nah.

"Thanks mom," I said giving her a hug, "I missed you. And by the way, you're right…I did kick a little butt." Just then my cell phone rang scaring us both half to death. It was Isabelle.

"Hey Izzy."

"_Clary, what the heck? Where are you?_

My mom grabbed her purse and mouthed something at me before she left. I didn't catch it but it was obvious she was telling me she had somewhere to be. All I caught was, _lock up when you leave. _

"I'm at my mom's. Why? What time is it?"

"_It's nearly six-thirty! Sebastian's been looking for you. We're going to Pandemonium!"_ she squealed in excitement.

I glanced at the wall clock and she was right, it read 6:24. "I can't believe that I've been here all day! Is Jace there yet?"

"_Nope, no sign of him or Alec, yet. Who cares? They can meet up with us at the club. I'm coming over and I'm bringing you an outfit that will make the kiddies drool. See ya in a few!"_

Twenty minutes later I heard a rhythmic knocking on the door. I opened it to find Isabelle eagerly holding what looked like a black dress in one hand and a pair of black knee high boots in the other. As much of a shock as it was to see the outfit that she had selected for me, it was even more of a shock to see that she had brought along an accessory: Tristan. He glanced from the dress to me, sizing me up.

"Hey. Sorry to crash the pre-party but Isabelle was nice enough to let me tag along," he nudged Izzy playfully.

I was fairly convinced that Jace would flip a switch when he learned of the newfound friendship that they had apparently formed, but hey, it would be her head, not mine. "It's fine. Come in." I didn't care to hide the annoyance in my voice. I stepped back and let them by. Isabelle mouthed _sorry_ as she passed.

I pointed Tristan to the couch and joined Isabelle in the bathroom. Forty-five minutes later we were finally ready to go. I did all I could to speed it up. I twitched, I begged, I sang 99 bottles of beer, but she refused to give up. So finally, I did. Isabelle was the queen of everything fashion and scandal. Exhibit A; tonight I was obviously the bait by what she'd done to me. The dress that I had on was skin tight. I mean _skin_ tight. It was a black, strapless dress with a gun-metal colored zipper running along my spine from top to bottom. Under it I wore a pair of black fishnet stalkings finished off with a pair of 'man eater kicks' – Isabelle's words, not mine. "I hate that you can wear this kind of stuff and not look slutty," she said. "You just look…amazing."

I had to admit, the boots weren't half bad. I especially liked the way they laced up my shins; dangerous enough to kill a demon in, yet sexy enough to lure him in the first place. She'd also done a number on my makeup. She lined my eyes with a black coal pencil and dashed just a touch of shimmer on my lids. She tried to go for the hair but I held up my hand in refusal. It was down, it was comfortable, and it was safe. Plus I liked how it stood out against the pitch-black dress. As much as I hated to admit it, Isabelle had definitely altered my fashion sense. I fell somewhere in between old Clary and typical Isabelle.

"Ok, let's go Iz, it's getting late already." She was perfecting her mascara and I couldn't help but laugh at the funny face she made while doing it.

"Be there in onnnnnne minute," she cooed as she finished 'perfecting'.

"Fine, I'm gonna get something to drink. Isabelle," I looked at her tapping my non-existent wristwatch, "One minute." She blew me a kiss and continued on.

I made my way to the kitchen, opened the fridge and grabbed myself a water bottle. I'd done this hundreds of times before, but I never quite appreciated it like I did now. Maybe it was because this house held the idea of a simpler time, before I learned of demons and warlocks. I was so relieved when my mom decided to keep it. I was admiring a picture on the fridge when I heard someone clear their throat and speak, "Wow." I grabbed the first thing I saw on the counter and whirled around. It was Tristan, relaxing comfortably on my mom's new couch. He was holding what looked like…_my childhood photo album!_ "You look," he stood from the couch and examined me, mouth open, "incredible."

I breathed a sigh of relief - kind of. It wasn't as if I was relieved to see him, only relieved to find that it wasn't Clary versus apartment Demon round 2. How had I completely forgotten that he was here? Between all of the fussing and girl talk, I'd forgotten that he'd come with Izzy. I had to look away from the intensity of his gaze. The only other person that looked at me like that was Jace. My cheeks flushed red and I hated myself for it.

"Whatever," was all I could muster. And thank the angel that Izzy popped out of the bathroom just then.

She looked from the spatula in my hand to me and then to Tristan. She smiled and shook her head, "I don't even want to know."

...

We arrived to find a packed nightclub. Apparently we had missed the memo that it was costume night at Pandemonium and everyone and their brother had shown up to celebrate.

"Now this is what I'm talking about," Tristan said as we stood across the street from the club. "We're bound to run into trouble here," he added while rubbing his hands together in anticipation. Sometimes he and Jace were so alike that it frightened me. This was one of those times.

Isabelle must have read the look on my face. "Where in the heck is your boyfriend, Clary? It's not like him to be away from you this long."

Tristan chuckled under his breath.

I ignored him, "I don't know," I said as I dug out my cell phone. No missed calls, not texts, nothing. "I tried to call him twice on the way here and I only got his voicemail. I told him we were here so I'm sure he'll show up eventually." _I hope. _"Did you get a hold of Alec?"

"The last I spoke with him was right before I met you at your moms. He was very cryptic and dodged a lot of my questions," she shrugged. But when she noticed my concern she hooked her arm over my shoulder, "Hey, no worries, Clary. I'm sure they just got sidetracked or something. You know Jace, once he sets his mind to something."

I glanced at Tristan who had kept quiet during our conversation. He was studying the people in line one by one. "Yeah you're right," I said half-heartedly. But honestly what she said didn't make me feel any better. It simply wasn't like Jace to take off for a whole day without telling anyone where he was going.

"Lovely. Then let's go make use of our talent, shall we?" she asked eagerly as she hopped off the curb.

Tristan moved to follow but then stopped mid-step and turned to face me. "Make sure to turn on that charm of yours. I'd hate to miss the opportunity to see you in action."

**AN: Ta da! And there it was ****. I hope that it was enough to keep you coming back….? Feel free to let me know what you guys think…the good, the bad and the ugly. I'll try my hardest to post the next chapter by Sunday!**

_**Next chapter: I'm not really sure how I feel about us anymore**_**.**


	6. AN2

Quick AN:

Maispecialk kindly pointed out an error in _I'm not such a bad guy you know?_

When Isabelle calls Clary at her mom's house…it was supposed to be Tristan that had been looking for her, not Sebastian .

Good lookin' out Maispecialk!


	7. I'm not really sure how I feel Pt1

**Hi guys! I have the next chapter here! Actually, let me clarify, I have a portion of the next chapter here. It's a loooooong one, so I'm going to post it in sections. I'll have the whole thing up by Sunday (this Sunday)…scouts honor ;). This was a tough one to write…phew. **

**DISCLAIMER: I'M NOT CASSANDRA (THE AUTHOR OF THIS WONDERFUL SERIES), AND I DON'T OWN ANY OF THIS. DEAL? DEAL.**

**ENJOY!**

**CLARYp.o.v.**

"Oh no she didn't," Isabelle accused, eyeing someone from across the dance floor. "That outfit is just…_tragic_." When I didn't respond she nudged me playfully, "Hey. Why so quiet?"

"I'm working," I reminder her. _And I'm worried about Jace._ "And in case you hadn't noticed, my boss is here tonight."

She shot out a laugh, "Boss? Too mundane. Call him your…_instructor_," she smiled. "It sounds so much more…" she tapped her chin, "forbidden. Don't you think?"

I giggled internally but otherwise ignored her and all of her forbidden glory. Leave it to Isabelle to correlate the word instructor with forbidden.

"Speaking of mundanes - or, former mundanes rather, how's our favorite little vampire doing these days?"

_Simon_! I slapped my hand to my forehead. I'd been so busy I'd _completely_ forgotten about him. "I'm a horrible friend," I moaned, "I haven't seen him in over a week." I made a mental note to call him tomorrow.

I averted my attention to the bar, instantly spotting the bartender's choice of artillery; a shotgun that had been wedged behind a miniature fridge. A box of shells and a can of mace included. "You know, as many times as we've been here before, I've never taken the time to figure this place out. There's a lot more to it than meets the eye," I said, returning my attention back toward the crowd and taking a sip of my soda.

She giggled, "Yeah I'd like to say the same thing about her outfit."

I involuntarily laughed, narrowly missing a passing bouncer with my spewing drink. He shot me an angry look before taking in my appearance and offering me a crooked smile. Isabelle giggled in the background. At precisely that moment my stomach lurched and my senses went on high alert. And I'm not exactly sure what it was - a Shadowhunters intuition I suppose, but that feeling in my gut told me to turn toward the bar...

So I did.

And there _it_ stood.

Demon.

Hidden just beneath the surface of his false persona was something very dark and powerful. I could physically sense it; more than any other time before this. The hairs on the back of my neck stood at attention the second I caught a glimpse of his lifeless eyes. He spun and started toward the dance floor.

Isabelle had spotted him too. "Be careful, Clary," she warned as I watched him retreat. "If you get hurt on my watch Jace will have my head." And then she added dramatically, "And if that happens it will simply ruin my hair," she said as she twined a lock of her shiny, dark mane through her perfectly polished fingers.

"I simply can't let that happen now, can I?" I smirked at her.

"Forget the hair," she said turning serious again. "Seriously Clary, _be careful_. You have everything you need?"

I patted my thigh sheath and nodded, suddenly too nervous to speak. A moment ago I was delightfully unaware of what was going to happen. But now that I'd spotted him the weight of the task was settling into my bones. And it had only just now hit me that I was going in on this alone. Sure Tristan would be standing by to make sure that nothing fatal happened - to me that is, but it still felt odd to fight without my friends. And without Jace here I almost felt…abandoned.

"Uh huh", she eyed me suspiciously, sensing my unease. "Well Tristan instructed me to stay put, but he'll follow directly behind you," she hip bumped me, "Now do me proud."

I let out a nervous laugh - or shudder possibly, I couldn't tell. I took a deep breath, fluffed up my hair, and made my way through the mass of people. The drunken crowd shifted and swayed with the new song; a seductive melody that fit hand in hand with my disguise. I could sense that Tristan was somewhere nearby, and when I momentarily shifted my eyes I spotted him leaning against the wall opposite me. He was watching intently, arms folded across his chest. His lips turned up into a smile and he nodded approvingly. I shook my head and re-focused, forcing myself back into the moment. In no time at all I had zeroed in on my prey. He was of average height and weight, and dressed in a Grim Reaper's costume. It was a fitting disguise considering what he'd planned to do tonight – harbor death. I watched as he scanned the crowd for his next victim. More often than not demons preferred beautiful, helpless, young women to target. Perhaps looking into the eyes of an attractive, yet defenseless woman somehow sweetened the kill. That is exactly who I needed to be right now; a helpless mundane.

He took notice of me then. His pitch black eyes narrowed in on me and glinted with excitement. I felt that same unfamiliar surge of nausea; forming an awful mixture deep within the pit of my stomach. _Strange, _I thought. It's never felt quite like this before. I dismissed it as nervous jitters and continued my approach. "Hey," I smiled, looking up at him through my lashes.

"Hey back," he responded with an attractive _human_ voice. Behind it I knew he was slithering. After taking a moment to check me out, obviously liking what he saw, he asked, "Would you like to dance?"

I gathered my hands in his shirt and eased him toward me before whispering in his ear, "Yes please." _Only because I plan on killing you shortly._

We started moving to the rhythm of the music, his hands gripping my waist while mine grazed his chest. I tried to imagine what I would think of him if I were like any other human girl. Would I notice the way his eyes held no color? Or the way he seemed to glide across the dance floor? I doubt these things would fall under the category of demon - if they were even noticed at all. I assume to most girls he would simply seem dark and mysterious; two things that I know most girls my age vie for in a guy. That made him all the more dangerous.

"Your hair is beautiful against the bare skin of your shoulders," he hissed in my ear. His finger trailed up my back and down my collar bone. _Ugh!_ This is the worst. I need a shower now.

I drew upon my inner Isabelle and practically purred my words, "I know," I agreed confidently. "Would you like to take a closer look?" I asked, drawing back to meet his jet black eyes…..that were… now… a beautiful shade of…light brown? Wait…_what_? Right before my eyes his face transformed into the most beautiful face I had ever seen.

"Tristan?" I exhaled, feeling something _click_ and change inside of me.

"Clary," he breathed; the back of his hand gently stroking my cheek, igniting something inside of me that burned bright. "You have no idea how long I've waited for this moment." The intensity and utter vulnerability in his eyes left me speechless. They glistened with emotion, further fanning the flames of raw emotion inside of me.

_What is happening to me? _

He continued to gaze at me, his eyes full of questions. "Tristan," I gasped, unable to comprehend my internal struggle, "what is this?" I pleaded. "What is this that I'm feeling?"

His expression became soft and sad. "Oh Clary," he sighed, pulling his costumes hood back to reveal his exquisite face, "there is so much for me to tell you," he glanced around, "But not here. Let's go somewhere where we can talk." He let his hand rest on my cheek for a moment longer before grabbing my hand and leading me to the storage room.

I rushed into the dimly lit room and immediately turned around to face him. _Beautiful_ I thought, as another wave of euphoria coursed through my veins. It was so powerful I could hardly concentrate.

"Tell me what's happening?" I begged, "Please?"

He slowly walked toward me, his eyes never once leaving mine. It was as if the rest of the world had dimmed and he was the only light source left in it. When he got close enough to simply reach out and touch me, he stopped. My skin hummed from the electricity emanating from his body. And then…so fast it was a blur, his palm struck forward which such force it launched me several feet back into a cement wall. I felt my skull crack at the same instant I heard the sickening thud it had made. But the sound was _nothing _compared to the pain that followed. I staggered for a moment before hunching over and falling to my knees. A constant stream of blood ran from the wound and onto my hands as I grasped the back of my head. The pain intensified with each drop of blood that escaped. I struggled to open my eyes when I heard his footsteps approaching. His hand grabbed at my throat and lifted me to my feet. I forced my eyes to cooperate with me and I opened them.

His face. Tristan's face. Something was…wrong. I struggled to speak as his fingers dug deep into the skin of my throat, "What…are you?"

He laughed casually, amused with my question. "Don't you see?" he trailed a finger down his face, "What I am is simply what your heart desires most."

"No-" I chocked out before he squeezed harder, cutting my air off completely. _This is it. I'm going to die._ I squeezed my eyes shut and then opened them, finally witnessing his true form – a horribly terrifying demon; one that I'd never seen the likes of before. His face rapidly shifted back and forth between its human and demon form – mostly lingering somewhere in between. I panicked and clawed at his face.

"Stupid Shadowhunter!" It hissed, shoving me back up against the wall. Another spasm of agony ran through me. It was then that I knew he had broken some of my ribs too. "You think I can't spot your kind as easily as you can spot mine?" The utter hate in his eyes was terrifying. He struck me in the gut with his fist and I crumpled to the floor once again.

This can't be happening. Where is Tristan? And Isabelle? I felt the edge of my seraph blade graze against my thigh, suddenly reminding me that I wasn't alone in the fight. Desperately needing a plan, and quick, I rubbed the blood and sweat from my eyes and focused. I needed him to pull me to my feet again.

"Is that all you've got?" I coughed, expelling a mouthful of warm blood.

"You're quite brave for such a small thing," I heard him hiss from above me. His voice shifted into a high-pitched wail and he grabbed a handful of my hair, "But now it's time you meet your fate!" In those few precious seconds it took for him to yank me to my feet, the world seemed to slow down to a crawl, and my mind captured several things happening at once. Jace burst through the storage room door, seraph blade in hand; his eyes widening in shock and horror. Isabelle skidded in behind him at the exact moment I ripped my blade from its holster, "Gabriel," I gasped, channeling what was left of my energy and using it to thrust the radiating weapon up into the demon's jaw. His eyelids fluttered for a few moments before he slid down to his knees in front of me, and then down onto his face.

"Jace," I breathed, lifting my hand toward him.

I felt my knees give out from under me, and then there was only black. The last sound I heard was Jace's panic-stricken scream, "Clary!"

**AN:**** Well, there it was! I hope that you all enjoyed reading it as much I enjoyed writing it! In all honesty it was difficult to write this scene. I didn't want Clary to come off as weak (because she's not)…but I wanted to show her vulnerability. Feel free to let me know what you think! And a special thank you to all of the reviewers: Story Write – In Books I Trust, darcyluver, maispecialk and PriceX3Jayme! **

**Sneak peak of what's to come:**

**ISABELLE p.o.v**.

It had been twenty-six hours since me and Jace crashed into a horrifying nightmare. It had been twenty-six hours since Magnus opened the door to find me, Alec, Jace and a severely broken Clary cradled in his arms. And it had been twenty-six hours since Jace had left her bedside. Last but not least, it had been twenty-six hours since Jace had spoken one word to me.


	8. I'm not really sure how I feel Pt2

Hey guys! Feels SO good to be back and presenting you guys with the next chapter. Like I always say…I hope this one meets your expectations :D. And thank you to all of my returning readers…and welcome to all of the newbies, I hope you enjoy. More to follow!

Disclaimer: I'm not Cassandra. I don't own the characters in this story. Must give credit where credit is due: Cassandra Clare. And on we go…

**ISABELLE p.o.v**.

It had been twenty-six hours since me and Jace crashed into a horrifying nightmare. It had been twenty-six hours since Magnus opened the door to find me, Alec, Jace and a severely broken Clary cradled in his arms. And it had been twenty-six hours since Jace had left her bedside. Last but not least, it had been twenty-six hours since Jace had spoken one word to me.

"Jace?" I said quietly, as I poked my head into the door of Magnus' bedroom. He turned and looked at me through unforgiving eyes. They were hard and bloodshot; a result of hours upon hours of worry and frustration. He didn't speak. And against my better judgment I entered the room and closed the door behind me.

"Jace, _please_? I am so, _so_ sorry that I allowed this to happen." I closed my eyes in shame. "I'm sick about it. I really am. I just thought that Tristan –"

"Don't," he warned. "Don't even speak his name."

When Jace showed up at Pandemonium to find that Tristan - or, _we,_ rather, _we_ had sent Clary on a solo mission, he _freaked_. And thank the Angel he did because any more alone time with that demon and we would be gathered around a casket - not a warlock's bed.

Right now Clary resembled a ghostly and vacant version of herself. Her face was void of any expression and color. Her red tendrils were still thick with blood and residue. And the dark circles under her eyes matched those along her ribs and back.

"Jace, I'm sorrier than you could _possibly_ imagine," he continued to stare at me, "but like I told Alec and Magnus, I would have _never_ let this happen if I knew that she was going to be in there alone. Tristan told me –"

"I said don't speak his name to me," he snapped, and then abruptly turned back to Clary, gathering her hand in his.

I didn't try to speak again. Instead I leaned against the door and quietly waited. I allowed my mind to wander back to Pandemonium and everything that had happened.

_Flashback:_

"_Clary!" Jace shrieked in a voice that vaguely resembled his own. He sprinted to her lifeless form and collapsed onto his knees beside her. "Clary!" he screamed again, clearing the bloody hair from her face. Her head fell limp when he gathered her in his arms. "Clary, don't you dare fall asleep, you hear me? Stay with me, right here, okay? Clary!"_

_And there I stood. Frozen. I watched as a frantic Jace marked Clary with an iratze. I did this. I told her that Tristan would be here for her. What have I done? _

_Jace turned to me and screamed something. I could see his lips moving but there were no sounds. The look of sheer panic in his eyes is what finally snapped me from my reverie, "-zzy, help me! The iratze isn't working!"_

_:End Flashback _

"What if she doesn't wake up?" Jace asked in a distraught voice, pulling me back into the now. He sounded so…_lost. _ In all of the years I'd known Jace I'd never seen him in this condition.

"She will." I left no room for argument. "She will wake up, Jace. I know she will. She wouldn't leave us. She would _never_ leave you." By the Angel she's got to wake up. We can't lose her and this would _end_ Jace.

He laughed without humor, "Story of my life."

"No. Not anymore. Nobodies going anywhere," I promised him.

He sat, silently willing Clary to wake up.

I thought again about the events that had taken place. We hadn't seen Tristan since we found Clary, but if he did as he was told he'd be waiting for us back at the Institute.

Waiting for Jace.

_Flashback:_

_Jace violently seized a fist full of Tristan's shirt and slammed him against the nearest wall. "What have you done!" he screamed within inches of his face. "Look at her!" He gripped Tristan's face and forced him to look. And then Jace's voice took on a menacing tone, "Go back to the Institute and wait for me, Ember. This isn't over yet, not even close." His voice was dripping with acid. "And you'd better pray that she's okay."_

_:End Flashback:_

"Is there anything I can do?" It seemed like such a lame question.

"Alec and I spent the entire day searching for Meliorn. Find him. I need to visit the Seelie Queen." He looked at me then, chin raised, perhaps waiting for my rebuttal. It didn't come.

Although I knew that this was a highly dangerous situation to walk into – playing with fire some might say, and it was insane to leave ourselves so vulnerable to the Seelie Queen and her fairy court, but there was still no way I would go against him on this. I nodded once, "I'll find him."

Our conversation was over then, so I quietly left. I couldn't bear to watch him suffer anymore. I entered Magnus' living room to find him and Alec sitting amongst hundreds of books.

"Anything yet?" I asked.

Alec looked up at me and shook his head.

When we had first arrived here Magnus immediately focused on Clary's internal wounds first, those being the most severe. She was bleeding from both her head and her ears, which was _never_ a good sign. Not to mention her broken ribs. The iratze was useless and we couldn't understand why. That has never happened before. Even amongst the worst of injuries - like this one, it may not heal the trauma within, but it _always_ healed the surface damage. That is where we were lost. No matter what Magnus tried he couldn't manage to reach its place of origin. He couldn't expose the source to extinguish it. So as of right now Clary was only alive as long as she could keep herself so. We could offer no help. And at any minute her already faint heartbeat could simply…stop.

**CLARY p.o.v.**

When I awoke my body was humming with energy. A warm pulse coursed through my veins, and I could feel the sensation radiating from my fingertips. The backs of my eyelids were glowing bright red, telling me that wherever I was, there was light. And lots of it. I rubbed my eyes with the heel of my palms and then slowly opened them. _Oh!_ An expansive blue sky stretched out above me. The bluest sky I'd ever seen. I reached my hand up, wanting so bad to touch it, but was quickly distracted by the alarming amounts of blood that covered me. But…as odd as it seemed, I was in no pain at all. In fact, I felt…whole. I sat up gingerly and looked around. There was no one with me. And there were no signs of any buildings either. I was in a green meadow surrounded by vast amounts of flourishing trees. _Is this heaven?_ Just then a marvelous white bird fluttered down from the sky and landed on a body of water that lay before me; a creature so pure that even this place couldn't hold a flame to its beauty. The bird seemed to be looking at me - no, _watching_ me. Its feathers were magnificent and strong; as sleek and shiny as polished marble. I bowed my head. How come it felt so disarming to hold its gaze? As if I was witnessing something so miraculous that I had to turn away to believe it was real. I looked up to find that the bird was still studying me. It slowly swam to the outer edge of the lake and stopped just shy of reaching land. Unlike before I couldn't force myself to look away this time. Nor did I want to. In one swift movement the bird expanded its wings and closed its eyes toward the sky, and after a breathtaking chorus of sound they fluttered open and focused on me. I didn't dare breathe. And for the first time since waking the thrumming in my body receded to a low hum. I continued to stare at the creature, mouth open in awe when its legs lengthened and its back unfolded, its body morphing into the human form of a man who was now hovering in the space before me. His wings flapped with ferocity as they expanded their reach, but for some reason, I was not afraid. And it was only when they gently lowered the man to the ground that I noticed the eyes. Many of them, tucked within the folds of his feathered wings. And they were all looking at me.

"Ithuriel?" I gasped, becoming aware of his face for the first time. _My angel_. I _am_ in heaven. I _did_ die. My heart ached for everyone that I'd left behind.

"No child. Death has not silenced you yet," his magical voice answered my thoughts. I couldn't help but focus on the word 'yet'. "You are but in between, Clarissa."

I was momentarily entranced by the way his voice seemed to echo my name. I followed the sound as it bounced through the trees. "Where are we?"

"Take a moment," he gestured to our surroundings.

It only took a second to realize, "Idris!" How could I have not known right away? I had drawn this very scene so many times in my diary. The lake…Valentine…Ithuriel. This is where it all happened.

"Indeed," he answered my question…or maybe my thoughts. "But reality it is not. This is but a figment of your imagination."

"Why am I here?"

"You are here because I saved you from darkness. Your survival is essential. And there is no need to worry, when you return you will no longer bear the marks of the demon that sent you here."

I looked down at my bloody hands. "My survival? But I'm nobody." My voice had faded to a whisper.

"Nonsense." The tone in his voice bit at my skin. "You are incorrect in your self-judgment. You are of vital importance. This fate was bestowed upon you many lifetimes ago. And it is near."

The shock of Ithuriel telling me that I was of vital importance stunned me into silence.

"Take with you this gift." He lifted his finger to the air between us and drew a symbol. A rune. Its features were so intricate that it took several moments before I could comprehend and commit it to memory. I closed my eyes and it blazed against the backs of my eyelids. The rune resembled two circles linked together, with two smaller, more obscure symbols within each of them.

"What is it called?"

"The answer will come. When the time is right, you will understand."

I nodded.

"Bear in mind, upon utilizing this gift you will forfeit your defenses and be left vulnerable and weak." His wings flowed gracefully as he lifted himself from the earth.

"Wait!" I panicked, instantly covering my mouth in shame for raising my voice to him. I didn't dare look up and meet his disapproving glare. Instead I spoke quietly with my head down, "What was that?" I asked. "The demon that attacked me, it wasn't normal. There was something…the feeling that I had…it wasn't normal." I met his eyes then and they weren't angry, only angelic.

"Within the answer to that question lie the answers to all the rest. We are done now. Close your eyes."

I took one last look at Ithuriel and all of his mighty beauty before shutting my eyes and letting the light fade to dark.

….

I knew the second I was home. The buzzing in my body stopped, and my previously faint heartbeat began to suddenly race. My adrenaline was kicking in. I felt a slight pressure on my hand – a familiar pressure. I squeezed.

"Clary," I felt his frantic breath on my skin. And then his hands were cradling my face, igniting a gentle warmth that only he could provide. For a moment I allowed myself to get lost in the feeling. "Clary," he urged, "Can you hear me? Please?" he begged. "Say something."

"Something," I managed to squeak out.

I felt the relieved laughter of his breath, and I slowly lifted the lids of my eyes. The world around me was blurry, but I could _see_ him. _Jace. _I was wrong before…_this_ is heaven. Him.

His golden eyes were wet with unshed tears before a single one of them leaked over and slid down his perfect cheek. I lifted my hand to wipe it.

"Don't," he said. "Don't try to move. You're really hurt, Clary. You almost-," he was caught on the next word and pain took hold of his features. He couldn't manage to say it.

"I know," I ran my hand through his hair. "But I didn't. I wouldn't. I'm here with you."

Suddenly, as if remembering something he'd forgotten, he began to urgently inspect my injuries. "How-", he looked confused, "What happened? Your wounds?" His eyes were wide and searching my face for answers. "They're healed."

"I'll tell you all about it, I promise." I was numb to anything but him right now. And I couldn't bring myself to ruin this moment. Our reunion. His lips looked so warm and inviting I couldn't help but run my finger over them. "But now right now," I made my smile innocently wicked. I felt great.

He lifted his eyebrows in surprise, and then his face relaxed back into sadness. He closed his eyes and grabbed my hand. "Clary," he sighed. "Don't you e_ver_ do that to me again. Seeing you like that - broken, covered in blood, it was the worst moment of my life. I tried – we all tried, but your injuries, they were horrible. I have never been that scared- that…lost." He looked at me with that same tortured expression. "I don't know what I'd do-"

"Shhhh. Jace, don't. You don't have to think about that. Okay? Like you said yourself," I shrugged, "I'm healed." He smiled and it was _almost _the old Jace.

He leaned over and placed his elbows at my sides, tenderly stroking my face with the back of his hand. Some things simply can't be expressed with words, and this moment was one of them. Jace was gazing down at me, his eyes sweeping over my face…lingering on my lips. _Always_ lingering on my lips. I felt the blush rise to my cheeks and heat my skin; a dead giveaway to the affect he had on me. He smiled crookedly, reading my thoughts as if I'd said them aloud. I noticed then that his face was much paler than usual, and the circles under his eyes were thick with worry. But he was still the most beautiful person I had ever seen. And then he gently, finally, lowered his warm lips to mine. _Home_, I thought. This is exactly where I'm supposed to be. I pulled him closer when I realized that he was holding back for fear of hurting me. A pained sound of relief escaped his throat and nearly broke my heart. _We almost lost this_. And then he was anxiously moving his lips across my cheek and down my neck, leaving a trail of warmth wherever our skin touched. My eyes closed and I thought I might melt in his arms when I heard him whisper my name.

He pulled away from me with a gasp and laid his forehead against mine. I could feel the steady heaving of his chest against my torso. When he lifted his head and looked at me his eyes were wild and alive.

"I love you, Clary." He swept his finger down my cheek. "I love you so much."

"I love you, too, Jace."

**AN:**** Aaaaand done! Thank you again for taking the time to read my mind's babble. I hope that this could hold over all of you Jace & Clary fans! (Including myself!) But there's a lot more where than came from, and I plan on bringing you much, much more. I just love them together ;). Please let me know what you thought…I love the written word.**

**A special THANK YOU to all of my reviewers! You guys are the best! You definitely keep me going ****: Story Writer-In Books I Trust-, maispecialk, LoveTheVamps01, loveloganlerman, ClarissaLee, blankwrite, MissDavenport, izzysunflower**

**Until next time….xx livealovestory**


	9. Easy for you to say, you're not afraid

**Hello, hello everyone! I'm back with Chapter 9 for you ****. It's got a lot of FIRE! I hope that you guys enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Hello to all of the return readers, and welcome to all of the new ones. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I'm not Cassandra Clare, and I don't own anything MI related. Just messin' with her characters is all ;). **

**CLARY p.o.v.**

I sat there as four pairs of eyes stared at me with mixed reactions of confusion and shock. It had been at least ten seconds since I had finished telling them what had happened to me, and yet, no one spoke.

"So…yeah…I guess that's it," I said, making sure that they knew I had finished. I fiddled with the hem of the oversized, tie-dyed t-shirt Magnus had loaned me; the shoulders were damp from my after-shower hair. My feet swung from the chair and barely scraped the ground. I felt like a small child under the scrutiny of her parents.

The first sound came from Magnus – an amused chuckle. "_'That's it'_, she says," he dramatically waved his hand through the air. He studied me for a few seconds, and then stood up and placed his hands on the armrests of my chair. _Does he not believe me? Magnus could be quite scary when he wanted to. _I involuntarily moved back into my seat when he lowered his head to meet my eyes. Through my peripheral vision I saw Jace shove himself out of his chair, clearly alarmed by the close proximity between Magnus and I. "The almighty Angel Ithuriel rescues you from death, and delivers upon you a message from The Heavens, and you say, _that's it_?" He stood up and released a good, hearty laugh this time, making my heart and body jump. _Phew! _I thought. He sat back down and crossed his long legs, looking at me from over his glasses. "My darling, Clary, if you think that what happened to you is simply an everyday occurrence, you are grievously mistaken. The Angel Ithuriel does not make house calls for just any dying shadowhunter. _You, _my dear, _you_ have a job to do."

"But what job?" I asked, feeling the panic and confusion rise from my gut. "How will I know what to do? He didn't tell me anything."

"Trust yourself," Jace said simply, as if it was the easiest thing in the world. "You'll know when you know." Leave it to him to be more confident in me, than myself.

"Easy for you to say, you're not afraid of anything!"

"Wrong." For a moment his eyes were dark and distant, and then they refocused and fell into a relaxed and almost sad, gaze."I'm afraid of losing you."

My breath hiccupped in my throat, and I stared at him with awe. He _never_ spoke that way in front of his brother and sister. It was so…honest. Behind closed doors, yes, all of the time, but never out in the open. He was tough Jace out in the open. One side of him that I loved very much, part of the reason I fell in love with him.

Before I had time to physically pick my jaw up from the floor, and Alec's, and Isabelle's, Magnus ruined it by saying, "The boy has a point," he agreed. "If The Angel himself did not specify the time and place, then it is simply a waste of time to fret."

"But what if I can't do it?" I turned to Magnus. "What if I'm not strong enough to defeat it? Whatever _it_ is? I can barely kill a demon!" I clenched my firsts hard, mentally cursing my mom for hiding this life from me for so long. It was costing me now. And it may cost the people I love, too.

"Hey, hey, relax, it's okay." Jace was next to me, taking my strained fists into his warm hands. He was a big, solid presence for me, and I don't know what I'd do without him. He rubbed soothing circles over my knuckles. "Look, we're going to figure this out. Okay? Together. All of us, you're not alone." I half-heartedly nodded. He winked, and then he moved his lips to my ear and spoke in secret, "Besides, this is something we can _definitely_ work with. This whole hero thing…hot."

"We can hear you, genius," Isabelle said, flatly.

"Jealous?" he wiggled his eyebrows at her. "It's understandable. It has been quite a while since you've gotten lai-

Jace's sentence was stopped short with one flick of Isabelle's whip. It's snapped within an inch of his face. "Spare me, Lightwood," she rolled her eyes. But I could tell she was proud to call him a Lightwood. "But he's right, Clary, this is pretty badass," she said, winding the deadly accessory back up her arm. "I have to admit, I'm kiiiiiinda jealous."

_What, _Isabelle jealous of _me_? "No way," I dismissed it. But then I played along, "Don't worry Iz, you'll always be my sidekick." Alec tried and failed miserably to stifle his laugh under a cough. And Jace openly chuckled at my side.

I expected her to flick the whip in_ my_ face now, but instead she crossed the room, engulfed me in a bear hug, and said, "Damn straight." And she honestly sounded a little proud to say so. And I couldn't help but feel a little flattered to hear it. "And I swear, I will never be that stupid agai-"

"Stop," I forced her shoulders back, which was harder than it looked. "You've apologized enough. All of you," I said, meeting their eyes, one by one. Jace didn't look at me; instead he looked in the opposite direction out the window. "It was nobodies fault but my own." I had Jace's full attention now. "I couldn't handle myself. I wasn't strong eno-"

"No," Jace said. "It is _not_ your fault. It's _his_ fault." We all knew that when Jace said he, him, or his, he meant Tristan. "If he'd been looking after his student like he was supposed to, he would have noticed that you were hunting an Asmodeus Demon."

An Asmodeus Demon. There was that name again. I couldn't get it out of my head ever since I heard Jace identify it. The demon of lust apparently. _Lust! _ That's what attacked me. I'd learned that they are a very, very rare form of demon. Ones that do not generally hang out in nightclubs looking for prey; they generally send lesser demons on those errands for them. And as important as this fact might be, I couldn't bring myself to tell them, especially Jace, who I'd seen when it transformed. How can you tell the person that you are so completely in love with, that when you stared into the eyes of a demon of lust, you didn't see him, you saw his mortal enemy.

"It takes years of mental and physical training to take them on alone," his voice snapped me back into focus. "You experienced first hand how strong they are. And therein lays my point. If he'd cared enough to notice that, he'd of taken you out of the equation and killed it himself."

"And you can't remember anything about your confrontation with the demon?" That was Alec asking. "You don't remember what you saw? Or perhaps what it said?"

"No," I lied. And I absolutely _hated_ myself for it. But what good could it bring? None. It would only fuel an already raging fire within Jace. _I_ know that Tristan is not what I want. I know that because I know myself. But if I told them what I saw, Jace could never forget it. It would eat away at him and I'm not sure he would ever look at me the same way. I can't risk that. So, as far as they know, I don't remember anything that happened after arriving at Pandemonium, and that's how I would keep it. "I'm sorry." And I was.

**ALEC p.o.v.**

We hadn't been home ten seconds before Jace broke away in search of Tristan.

"Heeeeere we goooo," Isabelle sang as we turned the corner to follow after him. "Ooooor, maybe we don't. Where'd he go?"

"We can't let them fight." Clary stressed to us as she checked the inside of Tristan's bedroom. She had attempted to reason with Jace during the taxi ride back to the institute, but he simply wouldn't discuss it. It was no use to argue; she knows that his number one priority in life is she and her wellbeing. It's utterly frustrating when the qualities you most admire and most despise in a friend are one in the same: _conviction_.

"We have to find them fir-" I was cutoff by the loud hum of conversation. I looked up toward the ceiling. "Weapons room." As we ascended the stairs the volume of their altercation grew louder, and clearer, and then we were standing in the doorway.

They didn't acknowledge our approach. "Look, man," Tristan said through gritted teeth. "Like I tried to tell you before, I didn't mean for that to happen. _Obviously_."

"I don't give a shit that you didn't _mean _for it to happen. The fact is, it did." I didn't need the rune for enhanced vision in order to see the rapidly pulsing vein in Jace's neck. "She should have never been put in that vulnerable of a position in the first place. She was nearly dead when we found her!" He was absolutely right. "If I hadn't come in when I did-"

"_I_ would have been there to _help_ her."

Jace took one threatening step forward, bringing them toe to toe. "What is it you're getting at?"

"Simple." Tristan said. "If you hadn't burst in when you did, completely throwing a wrench into my plan, I would have followed Clarissa and the demon into the room, and if she needed me, we would have taken it down, _together, _all the while keeping her nice and safe, for you."

"Bullshit." Jace said. "_If_ she needed you? We both know that your plan was weak, and dangerous. If you're at all what you think you are, you would have known that there was no way she could have taken down an Asmodeus demon on her own, you shouldn't have even allowed her to try. She's not ready for that, yet. It would have taken less than a second for it to snap her neck. Half the time it would have taken you to get to them. Like I said…weak and dangerous."

"She killed it _didn't she_?"

Jace clenched his fists, and when I took a step forward, contemplating stepping in between them – or fighting beside him if need be - he held out his hand to stop me, not once taking his eyes off of Tristan. "Yes." His voice was low and menacing. "She did. But only after it shattered her skull and broke her ribs. And right before she fell into a coma because of it." He narrowed his eyes and brought his face within inches of Tristan's. "If you want to test me, Tristan, this is the wrong subject to do it on."

I'm pretty sure this was the first time he'd said Tristan's name aloud. I looked at Clary who was huddled in the doorway halfway hidden behind Isabelle. What had happened to the Clary that was downstairs, bursting through doors and shouting orders? It wasn't at all like her to stand back and keep quiet, especially when it came to Jace's safety. And if this resulted in a fight, no one in this room would be safe.

Tristan cocked his head to the side and studied Jace. "Is this really about what went down at the club?" he asked. "Or, is this about something else? Our past, perhaps? Me and you and Valen-"

Without warning Jace grabbed Tristan by the neck and shoved him against the weapons table. Tristan didn't fight back. Instead he smirked, as if it was fun.

"Jace," I warned. "Not here. Not now." He didn't stand down.

"Listen to your Parabatai, Morgenstern, I mean, Herondale, I mean, _Lightwood._"

In one swift motion Jace kicked Tristan's feet out from underneath him, and leveled him to the ground, stele pressing hard against his throat. Isabelle immediately lashed her whip, and it coiled around Jace's wrist – a precaution in case things went from bad, to worse, or wors_t_.

Once again, Tristan made no effort to stop him, and for a couple of long, tense moments, nobody moved.

"Jace," Clary's tiny voice sounded from her spot in the doorway. "Don't," she said, quietly. "Please."

He looked up at her, and then back down at Tristan. "You're lucky that she's reason enough for me to stay out of the cells of the Silent City," he seethed. "Or I'd end you."

When Tristan moved to speak – most likely a remark that would force Jace to call to his weapon – I pointed directly at him. "You. Shut up." And then I put a hand on Jace's shoulder. "Enough," I said. Let's go." Isabelle uncoiled her whip, and Jace got to his feet. Without sparing another look at Tristan, he turned to go, grabbing the hand of a shocked and zombie-like Clary.

Something was definitely going on with her.

**CLARY p.o.v**_**.**_

I woke up this morning feeling hazy and lost; the same feeling I had as I went to bed last night, the same feeling I had as I watched – like a robot - Jace and Tristan have it out in the weapons room, and, if I'm being honest, the same feeling I've had ever since I met that Asmodeus demon at Pandemonium. But its intensity grew overnight. Exponentially. I keep marking it off as a side effect of, 'the sting'. And I'm _really_ hoping I'm not wrong.

It's starting to affect my life. Last night, after me and Jace came back to my room, all he wanted to do was be close to me and love me, and tell me all of the reasons _why_ he loved me. And there has_ never, ever_ been a time when I wasn't thrilled to hear them. Except for last night. It's like I was on autopilot, numbly moving through the motions: brushing my teeth, changing into my pajamas, watching Jace, watching me change into my pajamas. Even when he wanted to talk to me about Tristan, _finally_, I didn't care to hear about it, I couldn't make myself. Eventually he noticed, and with my lack of response and explanation, he got up and left. The scary part is, I didn't try to stop him. And then came the nightmares. Horrible ones. Ones filled with terror and loss. A single image haunted my mind: me, terrified, huddled in the corner of a dark room, holding a seraph blade to my chest, hands covered in blood. Through the dark I could hear footsteps coming nearer, and then it was there, a shadowy figure, standing in the doorway. That's when I woke up.

After that I couldn't sleep, so I quietly made my way to the library and did some research. I found a book titled: _A Field Guide to Demons, Fairies, Fallen Angels and Nephillim_. In that book I read all about Asmodeus demons and their purpose in the universe. Apparently they didn't have much of one beyond luring humans with lust, and then banishing them to the second level of hell. Thank the Angel I hadn't succumbed to that second part. Not yet at least. And hopefully not ever. But what frightened me the most was a small section that read:

_Prior to its attack, sometimes days in advance, an Asmodeus Demon will seek out its prey _

_in order to establish a cerebral connection. This does not require physical contact, and it_

_alone will cause momentary incapacitation. For the victim, the days following this encounter_

_will become obscure and disarrayed. This act establishes a connection, and therefore deems_

_the demon's final kill, effortless._

And then it got worse.

_If the demon is not destroyed, the victim's illness will rapidly worsen, and then, eventually, it will_

_consume them._

And that was it. There was no _Cure_ section, no _How-to_ guide on how to 'rid oneself of the condition'. That demon found me outside of Hot Wings that night and messed with my mind. I was sure of it. But I killed it, and now I just had to wait until the infection ridded itself from my body. Then I could go back to being my normal self. Or, at least as normal as life was for me these days.

As I was rearranging my weapons belt, preparing for training, there was a quiet knock at the door. I quick slipped into the gym shorts Izzy had loaned me – teeny-tiny, black, spandex shorts – of course. I always made fun of the girls on the volleyball team for wearing these butt-huggers, and here I am…

"Come in," I said, throwing on my favorite dark blue, t-shirt. It was perfect for working out. Maybe a little tight, but thin and easy to maneuver in.

Maryse poked her head in, smiling, and then came in, closing the door behind her. She was dressed in fitted workout pants and a black t-shirt, with her dark hair pulled into a tight, sweaty ponytail that fell to her waist. She was feminine, but strong. With her youthfulness, and Isabelle's maturity, they could almost pass as sisters. "Clary, can I speak with you for a moment?"

That's when it hit me. She must know about everything that has happened over the last couple of days. Someone told her.

"Of course." My throat was dry. "What can I do for you?" I asked, politely.

"I won't take too much of your time. After I freshen up I'll be departing on a two-day errand to Idris, and I'm already running behind," she said, as she pushed a button, illuminating her cell phone's face. She definitely didn't_ seem_ worried, or upset. "I spoke with Jace," she looked at me knowingly. "He's not quite thrilled with me at the moment. I'm well aware of his altercation with Tristan, and I have spoken with _both_ boys on the matter." So they hadn't told her the whole story. Well I wasn't going to. "But regardless of the malevolence between them, your training will continue, as scheduled, until further notice. The Clave will not tolerate a disruption in your development due to any past or present," she searched for the word, "issues, the boys may have with one another. Understood?"

"Yes." And I did. The Clave wasn't necessarily known for their patience. And I couldn't blame Maryse for siding with them. For all she knows this is simply an act of rebellion on Jace's part.

"Okay then." She kissed me on the forehead and smiled. "Would you mind creating me a Portal when I'm ready?"

The thought excited me. "Absolutely!"

….

After seeing Maryse off, I headed toward the training room. I was fastening my weapons belt around my waist when I rounded the corner, and ran directly into someone. Jace. And there it was again, the huge void, flaring up, as if to make sure that I'd noticed it. The place where my emotions would run wild at the mere sight of him now seemed,_ empty_. And not only empty, but agitated, and angry.

He was standing in front of me, arms crossed, dressed in full Shadowhunter gear. And Maryse was right. He wasn't thrilled.

"Hey," I said. "You going out?"

"Just getting in," he clarified, eyes immediately shifting to my shorts, and then to my thigh sheath, where I regularly kept Sammael. "Seriously?" He looked at me. "Is that necessary?"

"You're asking me if weapons are necessary for training?" I asked, caught of guard by the sudden hostility in my own voice. Since when had that happened? I wasn't hostile toward Maryse. Why Jace?

"No," he said, jaw clenched. "I'm asking if the _booty shorts_ are necessary for training? And I can see through your shirt. You think this isn't hard enough for me already? Sending you in there. But now you're asking me to send you in looking like that? He won't be able to concentrate, Clary."

"The shorts," I pointed to them. "Not mine. They're Isabelle's. She left them for me at my door because she knew I didn't have any clothes. It's not _my_ fault she chose them. And she's not here to give me anything else. The shirt, it's mine, and I always train in it. What you see through my shirt is my sports bra, not sexy lingerie. What do you want me to do, Jace?"

"Apparently nothing," he said. He narrowed his golden eyes, and brought his head down to study my face more closely. That's when I noticed the tiny specs of blood on his neck. He'd hunted, and killed. His eyes were searching for something, but I'm not sure what, and after a few seconds he withdrew, and folded his arms back across his chest. "What's going on with you, Clary?" he asked. "Something's not right."

When I didn't respond, he continued. "Are you looking for attention from him? Is that it? Did I do something to piss you off?"

The heat was rising from my belly, filling my cheeks with red-hot fury. "Attention? I repeated. "Is that what you think? Excuse me, Mr. Flirt With Every Girl in Sight, Regardless of Her Species, and Regardless of The Fact That I Have a Girlfriend! If anyone is seeking attention, it's you!"

"Are you kidding me? You know that you're the only girl in the world for me! What do I have to do in order to prove that to you?"

I took a slow deep breath before saying something I might _really_ regret. But I was still livid. "Nothing, Jace. You don't have to do anything. Just leave me alone." I tried to step around him but he blocked my path. I wouldn't meet his eyes.

He put his finger under my chin and lifted my eyes to his. His anger was gone, replaced with hurt. "Clary," he said, moving his hands to my cheeks. "You are the most important thing to me. _ Ever_. And I _hate_ fighting with you. If I've done anything to hurt you, I am so, so sorry. I would never do anything to break your trust in me. I'm yours, always. And I love you."

Right now is when I would usually melt into his arms, and we would spend the next hour kissing, and making up, telling each other all of the reasons why we couldn't live without one another. But instead, I looked into his trusting eyes, and said, "I'm sorry. I can't do this right now. I'm late for training." I stepped away from his hands, and one glance back told me that he was still standing there, hands in midair where he'd held my face, lost and confused.

**JACE p.o.v.**

I slammed my bedroom door shut, and threw my jacket at the chair. I took out my cell phone and dialed Isabelle's number.

"_What up, bro?"_ She answered, still excited from our three a.m. hunt. We'd taken down two Shedim Demons that were bothering a couple of kids in the park. Wouldn't really call them competition. It was over in less than thirty seconds.

"Iz, it has to be tonight."

She knew exactly what I was talking about. _"Ok. I'll call Meliorn and we'll meet him at the entrance. You going to call Alec?"_

"No. You call." My words came out with more intensity than I'd meant.

Silence.

"_You alright? You sound like you want to deck somebody. Hopefully not me. What'd I do now?"_ Leave it to her to want everything out there in the open.

"Nothing. It's Clary. Something's up with her, and she won't tell me what. And what the hell is up with you giving her those shorts? You think I enjoyed seeing that?" Of course I did. But so would _he_, for next three hours. I heard my cell phone crack under the pressure of my grip.

"_Ewwww…yeah…sorry about that one. I'm an ass. And so is Tristan."_

"I know. And I know. Anyway, call Alec and let him know the plan. Meet me back here early, I want to hunt first." Click. I admit I'm not very graceful when it comes to conversation. Let's hope my attitude changes before my court date with the Seelie Queen tonight.

to be continued…

**AN: Phew! Done and done ****. I hope that you all enjoyed this chapter! The suspense and action is on the horizon…I can see it! Let me know what you guys think. i LOVE reading your reviews…they make me want to rush home and write, write, write!**

**And a special THANK YOU to all of my Chapter 8 reviewers! You guys are the best: nessa1998, PriceX3Jayme, CarLei, Immortal42, Love The Vamps01, jenn-is-me, paramorelover14 and Story Writer-In-Books I Trust-. I appreciate all of the encouraging words ****.**

**Until next time…**

**Next Chapter: Dreams are hard to come by. But nightmares on the other hand… **


	10. AN3

AN

To all of my loyal readers:

**Please don't kill me**…this is just an author's note . I know that I get bummed whenever my favorite stories are updated with only an author's note, so I'll keep it quick. That way I can get back to finishing up my next chapter…WHICH WILL BE POSTED BY SUNDAY (this Sunday) – scouts honor!

Real quick, there is just one item that I want to touch base with you on, and that would be Clary and Jace's 'physical' relationship. In my first AN I mentioned that they had already slept together and that I didn't feel I should make a big deal out of it, blah blah blah, but I changed my mind. As of right now I'm changing my story so that Jace and Clary HAVE NOT slept together yet. I'm trying to keep my story as believable as possible and I don't think that they would have moved that fast. So stay tuned for the drama that, that will bring...

That was really all I wanted to say, and since I feel so guilty for taking over a month to update I'll leave you with a sneak peek of my next chapter: _Dreams are hard to come by, but nightmares on the other hand…_

…

"You want to hit me instead? I swear I won't block it." I could hear the smirk in his voice, and for a moment I seriously considered it.

I opened my eyes and turned to face him. "If that's all it would take to solve my problems, I'd happily oblige."

He chuckled lightly, shaking his head in amusement. "You're a feisty one." He shifted the blade in his hand and hurtled it toward the target across the room. It splintered the bull's-eye.

"Alright then, let's get out of here. You and me." He looked back at me when he said it, gauging my reaction to the words _you and me_. "You up for something crazy?"

"You mean no training? But I think after what happened I need to-"

"After what happened you need a day to," he drummed his fingers on his chin, searching for the word, "reflect."

I'm not sure what it was that made me say it, maybe the fact that once again my world was crumbling around me, but I said, "Okay. I'm in."

A smile spread slowly across his lips, and something warm unraveled inside of me. "Good," he walked over and helped me to my feet. "Why don't you put on something," he took in my shorts and his smile widened, "less tempting, and we'll go."

I fidgeted nervously under his stare. "Where are we going?"

"That's up to you. Meet me in the library in ten. And don't tell anyone. I don't need your boyfriend on my ass again." With that he was out the door, taking all of his warm energy with him.

Oh man. _Not good_.

….

Until next time! XOXO


	11. Dreams are hard to come by, but nightmar

Helllloooo! I'm back after a two-month hiatus! I just wanted to say I AM SO SORRY for promising a chapter practically a month ago…maybe longer. I hope that you guys are still enjoying my story…and please, please review to let me know.

Disclaimer: I own nothing MI related. This is just my lil' fanfic.

P.S. Please forgive any grammatical errors…I was in a rush to get this out to you :D

**PART 1 OF 2**

**CLARY p.o.v.**

I closed the door to the training room and slowly collapsed to my butt against it. My heart was pounding. So was my head. Not to mention the nauseating wave of emotion that has taken residence in my stomach; a ghostly presence rapidly declaring possession over me. I closed my eyes against a harsh stream of sunlight, searching for the courage to fight this. _I won't give in_. But what I found instead was Jace's face, staring back at me. With his emotions carefully guarded, in the end it was his eyes that gave him away. They spoke louder than any words he could have said - he just didn't understand. And how was I supposed to make him understand when I didn't even know for myself? All I know is that I was stung by a demon - a horribly dangerous demon - and the poison from that sting is still coursing through my veins, causing me to have headaches and severe stomach cramps. It reminds me of the time I got food poisoning from Luke's barbeque ribs, minus the puking. But what it doesn't explain, and what scares me more than any demon out there is the fact that my feelings for Jace are suddenly changing, _dying_. And I don't know how to fix it. I clenched my fists. _I was loving my life and now everything is changing and I can't seem to stop it! _ Just then an idea started to form in my head – a plan. What if I _can_ stop it? My gut is telling me that it's still out there – my demon. It's still alive, lurking, hovering, and waiting for its next chance. This didn't leave me with too many options. It was either wait for it to try and kill me again, wait to fall victim to its poison, or the best but most dangerous option, find it and kill it.

"You okay?" Tristan's voice echoed somewhere from my left, causing my mental image of Jace to fade into the backs of my eyelids.

I let out a sigh of emotional turned physical exhaustion and lowered my forehead to my knees. "Tired," I said. And for some strange reason the sound of your voice is _medicine_ to me right now. But it shouldn't be, because I love Jace. I _know_ I do. I just…don't know.

He must have taken my short answer as a _shut up_, because it took him a minute to speak again, and when he did he was very quiet and careful. "Hey, look…Clarissa…about what happened at Pandemonium-" He started to explain but I held up my hand to stop him.

"It's fine," I said, lifting my head and resting it against the door. "And I'm fine too. I don't want to talk about it."

"You want to hit me instead? I swear I won't block it." I could hear the smirk in his voice and for a moment I seriously considered it. I opened my eyes and turned to face him. "If that's all it would take to solve my problems, I'd happily oblige."

He chuckled lightly, shaking his head in amusement, causing his dark hair to fall into his eyes. "You're a feisty one." He shifted the blade in his hand and hurtled it toward the target across the room. It splintered the bull's-eye.

"Alright then, let's get out of here, you and me. You up for something crazy?" His light eyes glittered under his dark lashes.

"You mean no training? But I think after what happened I need to-"

"After what happened you need a day to," he drummed his fingers on his chin, searching for the word, "reflect."

I'm not sure what it was that made me say it, maybe the fact that once again my world was crumbling around me, but I agreed. "Okay. I'm in."

A smile spread slowly across his lips and something warm unraveled inside of me. "Good," he walked over and helped me to my feet. "Why don't you put on something," he took in my shorts and his smile widened, "less tempting, then we'll go."

I fidgeted nervously under his stare. Two days ago I would have scowled at him, telling him where he could shove it. But right now the only thing that mattered was that I felt good when I was near him, healed. I felt like myself. "Where are we going?"

"That's up to you. Meet me in the library in ten. And don't tell anyone. I don't need your boyfriend on my ass again." With that he was out the door, all of his warm energy following him, leaving me sick and alone once again.

Oh man. _Not good._

…..

I changed into my black skinny jeans and black demon hunting boots - a gift from Isabelle on my first day of training. _No reason not to look smokin' while you're slaying creatures of another dimension_, she'd said. I smiled to myself and embraced the rush of power I got from lacing them up my shin. I knew all too well that demons could be lurking anywhere, so it's best to be prepared.

My heart was racing the entire way to the library, afraid of whom I might run into. Why did I feel like I was doing something illegal? Sneaking away with Tristan, I'm not sure it would be a favorite amongst my friends and boyfriend. I came to a screeching halt when I rounded the corner and found Alec sitting against the wall, reading a book.

"Hey Clary," he closed his book. "You have a second?" I had a suspicious feeling that he'd been waiting here to talk with me.

"Of course, what's up?" Alec and my relationship had progressed immensely since the battle in Alicante, and I didn't want to do anything to screw it up. We had a mutual respect for one another, and even, sometimes, we could enjoy a joke or two at each other's expense.

He seemed to have noticed my restlessness because he narrowed his eyes ever-so-slightly, just like Jace did when he was trying to get a read on me. "I just want to make sure that you're doing well? You didn't say much last night during the altercation between Tristan and Jace. Usually you like to speak more than anyone," he smirked.

_Shoot._ He sensed something was up. I realized I was tapping my foot when he glanced down at it. I stopped immediately, trying my hardest to ignore the fact that my headache had gotten significantly worse in the last ten seconds. "How are you handling all of this? Ithuriel, Tristan and Jace, training…"

"I'm hanging in there." I tried to sound as optimistic as possible.

"Uh huh," he mused. Yet another reason I like Alec - he never tries to force information from anyone, even if he senses there's more to it. "So, have you come across anything in regard to the information Ithuriel gave you, any possible leads?"

"No," I said, annoyed with my lack of progress. "And it really sucks. Ithuriel presented me with that rune and _apparently_ I'll know when I'm supposed to use it, I guess. Even though I don't even know what it's called. And then I came across a book that had some information about Asmodeus demons, and how the side-effects of a sting could last days…" I stopped, finding myself on the verge of crying, fighting to hold back the tears. I had to be strong. I'd made up my mind that I was going to handle this myself, and I'm sticking to it. I'll find out what I need to know one way or another.

His face was soft with concern. "I was just doing research on that very subject." He held up the book to show me and it warmed my heart knowing that he had taken the time to do that for me. And with that came guilt for not being completely honest with him. "I haven't found much, but I'll keep searching." And I knew he would.

"Thanks, Alec." He nodded and watched as I rubbed my fingers to my temples.

"Clary, I realize how much of a burden this wealth of information is, and I'm sorry that we don't know much at this point, but I swear on the Angel that we're going to do everything within our power to help you. Understand?" He got up and hugged me, the first hug I'd ever gotten from Alec. It caught me off guard and completely went against his formal way of speaking, but I sighed and rested my head against his chest, taking a moment to just be.

"So where are you headed in such a rush?" He glanced at his watch. "I thought you had training?"

"Apparently today is a day of self-reflection," I used my hand as quotes. "I'm just going to take it easy, see where the day leads."

"Aaahh I see," he smiled. "Well I think that, that will do you some good. Go have fun and get your mind off of everything that's going on."

"Have you seen Jace?" I bit my lip, thinking he _must_ know about our fight.

Suddenly he was the one that looked flustered. "Um..no.. I haven't actually."

"Jace split," Isabelle's voice carried from the kitchen. Eavesdropper. She swung the door open and came through licking something sticky from her fingers; Alec narrowed his eyes at her. "What did you say to him anyway? He was pissed."

"I didn't say anything!" That was the problem. And that's why he was mad.

"Okay. Sheesh, relax." She looked at me curiously.

I released a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Iz. I'm just…I don't know, I'm tired I guess. Can you just make sure that he doesn't do anything stupid? Make sure that he doesn't go out looking for trouble. Do you know where he went?"

"He went to Hot Wings for a drink."

"What? This early in the morning? Why would he do that?" I looked from Isabelle to Alec and back again.

"You tell us," she said flatly, implying that they did in fact know more than they lead on to. Suddenly my insides flared up and I hugged my abdomen out of instinct. Whatever it wanted couldn't be found in the presence of my friends. I glanced toward the library.

Her eyebrows drew together and she stared at me. "Is everything okay, Clary? You don't look so good. And don't you dare lie to me."

_Just tell them Clary_. Tell them what has you all mixed up inside. Tell them that you think the demon poison is still running through your veins, rapidly breaking you down. They can _help_.

But what I said was, "I have to go," before hastily turning on my feet in the direction of the library. I heard frantic whispering as I retreated.

…..

"It's about time." Tristan was leaning against the wall skimming through what looked like a journal, he didn't' look up. He had changed into a not-too-tight, white t-shirt and jeans that rested low on his hips. I could see his faint scars and runes reminding me that even beneath his simple attire was a deadly hunter.

"This isn't a date." He looked up at me then, my insides immediately reacting to his presence, beckoning me to touch him; the promise of more relief. _No_, Clary.

"You're right." Those words snapped me out of my reverie. He mocked seriousness. "I'm your teacher and it would be morally and ethically wrong if we were to be involved with one another."

"Not to mention I have a _boyfriend_." Was I reminding him, or me?

"Right," he smirked. "And where is he now? Off drowning his sorrows, most likely enjoying the view of the bartender's chest while doing so."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Just shut up, it's none of your business. Where are we going?" I looked around. "Why are we in the library?"

"Because we're going to portal somewhere, your choice. And this is where the last portal was summoned."

"No." I crossed my arms. "Absolutely not, it's against the rules. The Clave listed only a handful of people that could request a portal from me. They were very specific, and you weren't one of them."

He sighed. "Look, Clarissa, the Clave sent me here in order to train you. They sent me here so that we could harness your ability-"

"My _fighting_ abilities, nothing more."

He crossed the room and gently grabbed my shoulders, his eyes holding mine. "Look, I know you're scared. I know that you wish you could fight alongside your family and friends. And I know how much it tears you up to not be able to do so. What you don't know is that the possibilities are endless when it comes to portaling. There is much more to it than you know, and I can teach you these things. I can help you understand that this can be used as a weapon, not just an easy way to travel. You just have to trust me."

"Really?" I could feel my resolve crumbling. Why has no one told me this before now? Why would they _hide_ this from me?

"Yes. Do you trust me?" he asked again, releasing my shoulders, holding out his hand.

It was now or never. "I do," I said, placing my hand in his.

His smile turned big; the first genuine one I'd seen since he'd arrived here. He nodded his head and motioned to the wall where I last summoned a portal for Maryse.

"Okay, first things first," he released my hand and crossed the room, coming to stop in front of the large framed picture of the towers in Idris. Before I knew it he was opening the picture like a cupboard, revealing a safe behind it.

"How did yo-" I stopped myself. I didn't want to now how he knew the code to a safe I didn't even know existed.

The thick metal door swung open revealing a single rectangular wooden box. Tristan grabbed it, cradling it as if it were a newborn child. Shutting the safe and closing the picture behind it, he came to stand in front of me. "Here, open it." His eyes were glimmering with muted excitement, as were mine.

I slowly lifted the lid to reveal a stele. My breath caught and I could feel Tristan watching me. I ran my fingers down its spine, marveling at its beauty. It looked as if it was made from the purest form of ivory; light beige in color, beautiful runes carved into the exterior. This was nothing like the ones that I'd come across in the short time I'd been a shadowhunter. I released it from the velvet casing and lifted it, examining it more closely. _Purity, power, escape…_I listed the runes in my head one by one, committing them to memory.

"It's beautiful," I breathed. "Whose is it?"

"It's yours now." I looked up at him in disbelief. "It belonged to a dear friend of mine. He's gone now and he asked me to make sure it ended up in the hands of someone worthy of its power." He closed my hands over it. "That's you."

"It's power?"

"Yes, it's far more impressive than any other stele you will encounter. You have to be _very_ careful when you use it. It will make your runes significantly more powerful, and with the slightest error it could harm you in the process. And when you use it to create your portals you must be precise about your destination, or you could be lost forever. And it…" He stopped himself from continuing.

I looked up at him. "What is it?"

It took him a moment, but then he said something that shocked me to my core. "It allows you to portal to other dimensions, too."

Silence. A long one. My eyes grew wide with disbelief.

His words terrified me, biting at my skin. "Don't worry," he said calmly. "I can teach you."

"But I don't want to know how to portal to those horrible places! Why would I ever want to go?"

"Hey," he gently grabbed my chin, forcing me to listen. "This is all part of being a Shadowhunter. Sometimes we have to do things that we don't want to do. Do you understand?"

I didn't answer, not yet wanting to give in to the idea of voluntarily portaling myself to a dimension filled with hate and murder.

"Clarissa, we're at war. You may not know it, but we are. The Clave may not want to acknowledge it, but it doesn't change the facts. Even though Valentine is dead he still has allies that will return one day. We mustn't forget that. And if you possess this kind of knowledge, together with your abilities, you could once again save everything and everyone you've come to know and love. Do you understand now?"

It was an odd feeling, being held to such a high standard, especially by someone that barely knows you. But it didn't change the fact that it felt good to be needed. It felt good when he spoke of me like I'd be the one fighting to save us all.

I stared back down at the other worldly object in my possession. "I do. Thank you, Tristan."

"You're welcome, Clarissa."

"Clary," I said, quietly.

"Huh?"

"Clary." I cleared my throat and straightened up to meet his eyes. "Call me Clary. That's what my friends and family calls me."

He smiled, another genuine one, too. "Alright Clary, enough with the serious stuff. Where we headed?"

It took me a moment to understand, but when I did, I smiled, knowing that there was only one place I really wanted to go, one place where I could escape my own life. "Idris." His eyes widened in shock, but he quickly recovered.

"Gutsy, I like it." But there was something lingering in his expression that I couldn't exactly pinpoint. Alarm? Before I could think anymore about ithe turned me to face the wall. "You don't need me to show you this one."

I took a deep breath and lifted my hand to the wall; letting images of Idris flood my mind. The warm perfect sun, the soft green landscape, the beautiful lake…I opened my eyes and began. The moment the stele made contact with the wall it felt like my body had collided with a force field of pure, raw energy. I could almost reach out and touch it, feel it circling me; its power making me stronger, clearer; my body momentarily ridded of all the negativity. The runes on the stele began to glow a bright white, blazing a trail of glowing liquid where I traced the portal. I stepped back to look at it, my arms falling limp at my sides, all the remaining energy seeping from my fingertips. It took all I had not to curl into a ball right there on the floor and sleep. Instead I stared in wonder as the solid wall began to melt and swirl, it's edges expanding, slowly revealing a painting inside. Although this wasn't a painting at all, this was Idris, and I couldn't get there fast enough.

I held out my hand to Tristan, who was staring at me in wonder. "You ready?"

…

**ISABELLE p.o.v.**

"What is up with him?" Nix asked, fluffing her blonde teased-hair and smacking her gum. She was staring at Jace who was sitting at the bar, shoulders hunched, staring at the glass of brown liquid in front of him. _Thank the Angel_ he was over his bimbo phase. She was a fairy Jace had "met" on a couple of occasions back when he was the Old Jace, as we call it. "He always wants to flirt. Is he sick?" It was funny how surprised she was. It really did prove just how much Jace has changed.

"Sorry, honey, but you might as well consider your time with Jace a thing of the past. His focus is on one girl and one girl only these days, and I don't see that changing anytime soon." I gave her a half-assed smile and made my way to Jace.

I sat down on the barstool next to him. "Jace, you alright?"

He slowly turned his head to look at me, expression blank, but turned back without saying anything. His knuckles were bloody but I didn't point that out.

"Can I get a water, please?" I yelled to the vampire that was tending bar, but who was really only flirting with a patron for higher tips. She shot me an annoyed look before hastily filling a glass with water (no ice!) and shoving it in front of me. _Bitch._

"I got a hold of Meliorn and he's willing to take us to the Seelie Queen tonight. Eleven o' clock at the pond if we're in." He didn't say anything. "Jace, I trust you so I'm only going to ask you this once. Are you absolutely _sure_ that you want to involve the Seelie Court?"

He turned to me then, showing me just how serious he was. "She is the only one that can tell me what I want to know. She's the only one that can tell me where Tristan went when he fled Idris, and what he found that made him scatter." I nodded, understanding. He seemed to measure me for a moment, contemplating his next words. "And she's the only one that can help me figure out what Clary is hiding."

He felt it too then, the same way Alec and I had felt it. Clary was hiding something. I didn't deny it.

"She's not herself. Has she said anything to you?" He was searching my eyes, hoping to find some sort of explanation, one that would ease his worries.

I shook my head. He sighed and turned back to his glass. "She's been through a lot, Jace." His jaw twitched and his gaze hardened even more. "Alec says that the side- effects of Asmodeus poison can last days, even weeks maybe. It really messes with you, that stuff. Plus, all of the pressure from the Clave, and having to make up for six years of missed training. She's only one person. One little person with a _huuuuge_ responsibility."

He closed his eyes as if he was in pain. "She won't talk to me." These emotions were fairly new to him and he didn't know what to do with them. "She's going through all of this and she's going at it alone. I'm here and she won't trust to tell me. Whatever it is, I want to- no I _need_ to know. How can I protect her if I don't know what to protect her from?"

"It'll be okay, Jace. I don't know exactly how, but it will be okay. We're all family and nothing is going to happen to any of us." I grabbed his forearm and made sure he'd heard me. "I won't let it."

He smiled genuinely, a great smile; one that is slowly going endangered and would soon be extinct if Clary ceased to exist. "You're just like your mom. Except I've never known her to slay six demons all while wearing a dress and heels. You're badass. You know that, right?"

"Why yes, I do," I boasted, lifting my chin into the air. "But it never gets old to hear it," I winked. "Hey, Bartender! Two more brown ones down here." I turned to Jace, excitedly. "Ok, so I need your advice. I was thinking of asking Clary if she would want to be my Parabatai, but I wanted to talk to you first. It's serious, and I want to make sure that you think it's a good idea, too."

He smiled, and I relaxed. "It's a great idea, Iz. She'll love it." He brought his glass to mine, "Congratulations. Cheers."

"Cheers." I grinned.

**AN:** TA-DA! All done with this ½, which was more of a set up for the next 1/2, but still full of information! The next half is where all of the ACTION begins. I hope you guys liked it! What do you think about Clary being able to travel to other dimensions? Can't wait to see what happens with that! Please let me know if you enjoy where the story is headed. The next part will include Jace's visit with the Seelie Queen. Who knows what he'll find out…Is Tristan all that he says he is? Will he find out what Clary has been hiding? Stay tuned!

A special thank you to all of my reviewers: Story Writer-In Books I Trust-, MyLifeSucks12, Golden-Iris158, SilverGoldsun - .Day., westpointfd, ImpartialMoroi, Fairchilde. I'm going to start responding to all of my reviewers with this chapter! LOVE you guys.

Until next time…xoxo livealovestory

**Sneak peek: **

"I'm sorry, too," he muttered. "I shouldn't have done that." I turned to face him. For a moment I imagined his eyes were narrowed in fury, but he blinked and it was gone, replaced by the beautiful face of Jace's mortal enemy…"


End file.
